How to include the = as part of the text search

Question

We have a setting that is "WHEN=" since "when" is such a common word we try to find the description with the Exact Text: syntax description ~ "\"when=\"" this returns the same number as description ~"when".  The "=" does not show up as a reserved symbol but since it is an operator, we think it is being ignored.

We had a similar issue with the term "update_move" the "_" acted like a wild card even though it was not listed as a wild card this search resolved that description ~ "\"update_move\"" but we are not having the same luck with description ~ "\"when=\""

Since there are 9,800 + results, it is not practical to read through them all.

Stewart G Behra · Answer

Thank you for confirming and pointing me to the Jira which has other Jira's and Articles linked to them.

Mark Segall · Answer

Hi @Stewart G Behra

Unfortunately, you've stumbled upon a known issue where special characters act inconsistently in search.  I've tested both of your examples, escaping the _ and = but that still yielded the same results you're experiencing.  Here's a suggestion for improving the behavior:

https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JRACLOUD-75866

Note - The proposed workaround on that issue is exactly what you're trying to accomplish so it's not accurate.