Unable to insert date variable into date field

[Timothy Harris]

I am attempting to automatically get the Start Date from the description for new staff, this does successfully retrieve the date and works when I'm commenting the variable, however the variable doesn't work with the Start Date field.

I have attempted to paste the commented date into the Start Date field and that works fine.

[Carlos Faddul · Accepted solution]

Hi @Timothy Harris , can you share a example of description that you are using ?

Maybe the format the in the Jira are wrong or maybe the description have some wrong format to match.

[Timothy Harris]

You can see the description at the bottom-right of my screenshot, it is

"Start Date: 15/12/2022

TEST"

[Carlos Faddul]

Hello @Timothy Harris 

I recorded a video/tutorial to help you to solve this.

I apologize for my bad english to speak

https://youtu.be/aRxAXZ7m0TU

But if you don't want to see the video, you just need one action that is to convert your variable (text) to Date then set in the correctly desirable field

I hope I helped you.

If this post was helpful, mark it as "Accept Answer" , so you can help others who may have the same difficulties.

If your question has not been resolved, please post again with more details.

[Timothy Harris]

Hi @Carlos Faddul ,

That video was brilliant, thank you for your help, however it didn't fix the issue. I've pasted my audit log alongside my Automation configuration.

[Carlos Faddul]

@Timothy Harris

I run the automation like your automation and the automation runs without problems, follow the json file

{
"cloud": true,
"rules": [
{
"id": 9567540,
"clientKey": "1970ac34-1f27-35b3-b5e4-1b83c6409f94",
"name": "Community Date Convert",
"state": "ENABLED",
"description": "https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-questions/Unable-to-insert-date-variable-into-date-field/qaq-p/2216037?utm_source=atlcomm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=immediate_general_answer&utm_content=topic&lightbox-message-images-2216037=230357iFEF26DF132AA3000",
"authorAccountId": "5a871346cad06b3537342818",
"actor": {
"type": "ACCOUNT_ID",
"value": "557058:f58131cb-b67d-43c7-b30d-6b58d40bd077"
},
"created": 1671065392688,
"updated": 1671114221023,
"trigger": {
"id": "195670657",
"component": "TRIGGER",
"parentId": null,
"conditionParentId": null,
"schemaVersion": 1,
"type": "jira.jql.scheduled",
"value": {
"schedule": {
"cronExpression": "",
"method": "BASIC",
"rate": 0,
"rateInterval": 86400,
"rRule": "BEGIN:VEVENT\nDTSTART;TZID=America/Sao_Paulo:20221214T204553\nRRULE:FREQ=WEEKLY;BYHOUR=9;BYMINUTE=0;BYSECOND=0;BYDAY=WE;INTERVAL=1\nEND:VEVENT\n"
},
"jql": "key = EK-1129",
"executionMode": "jql",
"onlyUpdatedIssues": false
},
"children": [],
"conditions": [],
"connectionId": null
},
"components": [
{
"id": "195670658",
"component": "ACTION",
"parentId": null,
"conditionParentId": null,
"schemaVersion": 1,
"type": "jira.create.variable",
"value": {
"id": "_customsmartvalue_id_1671064636412",
"name": {
"type": "FREE",
"value": "StartDate"
},
"type": "SMART",
"query": {
"type": "SMART",
"value": "{{issue.description.match(\"Start Date:\\s(.*)\")}}"
},
"lazy": false
},
"children": [],
"conditions": [],
"connectionId": null
},
{
"id": "195670659",
"component": "ACTION",
"parentId": null,
"conditionParentId": null,
"schemaVersion": 1,
"type": "codebarrel.action.log",
"value": "StartDate - {{StartDate}}",
"children": [],
"conditions": [],
"connectionId": null
},
{
"id": "195670660",
"component": "ACTION",
"parentId": null,
"conditionParentId": null,
"schemaVersion": 1,
"type": "jira.create.variable",
"value": {
"id": "_customsmartvalue_id_1671065001299",
"name": {
"type": "FREE",
"value": "StartDateFormat"
},
"type": "SMART",
"query": {
"type": "SMART",
"value": "{{StartDate.toDate(\"dd/MM/yyyy\")}}"
},
"lazy": false
},
"children": [],
"conditions": [],
"connectionId": null
},
{
"id": "195670661",
"component": "ACTION",
"parentId": null,
"conditionParentId": null,
"schemaVersion": 10,
"type": "jira.issue.edit",
"value": {
"operations": [
{
"field": {
"type": "ID",
"value": "duedate"
},
"fieldType": "duedate",
"type": "SET",
"value": "{{StartDateFormat}}"
}
],
"advancedFields": null,
"sendNotifications": true
},
"children": [],
"conditions": [],
"connectionId": null
},
{
"id": "195670662",
"component": "ACTION",
"parentId": null,
"conditionParentId": null,
"schemaVersion": 1,
"type": "jira.issue.comment",
"value": {
"comment": "{{StartDateFormat}}",
"publicComment": false,
"commentVisibility": null,
"sendNotifications": true,
"addCommentOnce": false
},
"children": [],
"conditions": [],
"connectionId": null
}
],
"canOtherRuleTrigger": false,
"notifyOnError": "FIRSTERROR",
"projects": [
{
"projectId": "10029",
"projectTypeKey": "software"
}
],
"labels": [],
"tags": [
{
"id": 19798714,
"tagType": "IS_RULE_UPDATED",
"tagValue": "true"
}
],
"ruleScope": {
"resources": [
"ari:cloud:jira:a94c6a97-c44c-49bd-a6f6-d6dbab8ce06b:project/10029"
]
},
"writeAccessType": "UNRESTRICTED",
"collaborators": []
}
]
}

[Bill Sheboy]

@Timothy Harris when you create the StartDateFormat variable you have a period between the words Start and Date, creating a null value rather than the value you expected...and...to then use a mask you must use the format() function.

[Timothy Harris]

It works, thank you both for helping me with this issue!!

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Timothy Harris 

Created variables are text type, and you can set them in a date or date/time field by converting with toDate, such as with this:

{{StartDate.toDate}}

Kind regards,
Bill