How to exclude tickets that relate to a specific EPIC in my results.

Question

Hi all,

I have a query that I am really struggling with, I have a number of tickets that show up in a list, some of which relate to the same epic and I wish for them to be excluded from the list.

So far I have tried "project = Alpha AND issuetype in (Bug, Defect) AND status = Open AND 'Epic Name" != Epic Ticket - No1' ORDER By priority DESC, updated DESC. This returns 0 results which is incorrect.

If I try to use the Epic Link over the name such as ..AND "Epic Link" != A1-458 ORDER BY priority DESC, updated DESC it will only show those tickets associated with that EPIC when I didn't ask for it to do so. If I reverse it and use an = instead of != then it returns 0 results when in my thinking it should only show tickets that have that EPIC link inside them.

What am I missing or getting wrong is that I cannot filter the JQL query to filter our tickets that contain this EPIC.

Please do let me know where I am going wrong,

Thank you.

Lloyd_b8duci · Answer

Hi @padraik ,

Apologies for not replying sooner I have been really busy with work and am only able to come back to this now to run through to try to get the results that you've mentioned.

Step 1 returns a total of 6,036 results

Step 2, once I select this ticket, the number of tickets associated with this one is reduced to 106 as you say these are children of the A1-458.

For Step 3, using != instead excludes any ticket related to A1-458 and returns show a total of 2,688 tickets which are tickets again that do now have or relate to ticket A1-458. - However 2,688 + 106 = 2,794 which is a difference of 3,242 tickets

I'm not sure why there is a reason that 3,000 odd tickets which be missing at this stage, would you happen to know why?

if I continue on to your Step 5, it returns a total of 16 tickets that are currently marked as "Open" however these are a mix of tasks and 2 bug tickets and within my original list there are currently a total of 10 bug tickets, 5 of which are children tickets that link back to Ticket A1-458.

If I continue on to Step 5.2 adding in the extra "Issuetype in (Bug, Defect) returns a total of 2 tickets, but there should currently at the time of writing this reply be a total of 5 tickets, not 2.

Could it be down to the fact that the two that are shown are currently "unassigned"?

padraik · Answer

your answer for 3.3 confused me. if 3.1 gave you 5970, and 3.2 gave you 102, then if you run 3.3 the way I wrote it, ("project = Alpha AND "Epic Link" != ) then your number of results should be 5970-102= 5868 can you confirm that the math works out that way? Also, what the key for the actual epic whose children you want to exclude? Be sure you're using the Epic's key for "Epic Link" != "

Lloyd_b8duci · Answer

Hi Padraik,

Let me give you a step-by-step analysis then;

1 - 2. As before, I'm using the advanced section to enter the JQL query.

3.1 Returns 5,970 results (Too many!)

3.2 Returns 102 results (Progress, but still too many)

3.3 Returns 2,668 results (That's if I add the "!" in front of the "=" without writing the "Epic Link" = = A1-458 again.

If I repeat step 3.1 but add into the JQL the issuetype in front of the Epic Link query, it returns 21 results,

If I repeat it again but with the "!=" in front of the Epic Link query, it returns 570 which I guess you could say is progress.

If I repeat the equation with more of the original JQL query, this time adding in the open query, repeating step 3.1, it returns only 4 results which are accurate.

Repeating step 3.2 to exclude them returns 2, which is incorrect as there should be at current 12 results, not 2.

I think for the latter, this is where it's throwing a wobbly and not returning accurate results. If by any chance I have incorrectly ordered the equation then please do let me know the best way to recreate it.

I have to type it as follows:

"project = Alpha AND issuetype in (Bug, Defect) AND "Epic Link" !=*Epic Ticket* - Alpha-005 AND status = open"

It's only an idea as I am very much still learning JQL but would it make a difference to insert the status section before the "Epic Link"?

Thank you for your continued help.