In automation how to count number of URLs in description?

[Mihail Turusov]

The goal is to count number of URL occurrences as plain text (number of "https://url.com...") and display those as a field. 

To start learning I tried creating a smart value the dumbest possible way {{issue.NumberOfEdits}} and on case edit {{#increment}}{{issue.NumberOfEdits}}{{/}} but it doesn't look as it works?..

[Bill Sheboy · Accepted solution]

Hi @Mihail Turusov 

I have not heard of NumberOfEdits before.  Where did you see that one?

Another way to count those URLs is using the split function and counting the list items:

• Trigger: value changes for Description
• Condition: If/else structure...
  • If the Description field does not contain https, set the count to zero (0)
  • Else count the urls

{{#=}}{{issue.description.split("https").size}}-1{{/}}

How this works:

• Split the description field on the text "https" into a list
• Count the size of the list
• Subtract one for extra list item from the split

Best regards,

Bill

[Mihail Turusov]

Thank you for your reply. 

That smart value is something I tried to create myself (when ticket is created - create smart value) to later operate it and to learn about them more.

I tried the rule you suggested and am getting an error (replaced https with URL of app domain):

Error rendering smart-values when executing this rule:

Failed to get value for issue.description.split("[https://app.intercom").size: {{#=}}{{issue.description.split("[https://app.intercom").size}}-1{{/}}

I believe I've done it properly?..

Also tried without a bracket and "https://" part and looks like it parses properly with it, but number is 2x as high (I believe because of doubled text and URL for text). Dividing it by 2 kinda work, but how do I modify the rule so it won't break for "[https://app.intercom" line?

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Mihail Turusov 

Short version is that you may need to experiment a bit with this...

There are reserved characters that the split() does not like, but I have been unable to find documentation for the valid/invalid list.  Perhaps they can be escaped, but I have not had success with that method.  That is why I only searched on "https" in my example.

One such reserved character is the period (.), and so when I need to split on that, I first perform a substitution and then split:

{{#=}}{{issue.description.replace(".", "ZZZ").split("ZZZ").size}}-1{{/}}

Perhaps you could perform some replacement of troublesome characters and then split using this method.

[Mihail Turusov]

This is super helpful! thank you!