JIRA quick search produces unexpected results

Brian Selvy November 12, 2013

One of our users at LSST Corporation has been having issues with the quick search where the results don't seem to be consistent. The user has typed in words that are either in the Summary field or Description field of an issue. The search feature finds some issues that have the word in the Summary or Description but not all cases. I've run tests since this was reported, and have verified this. What does the JIRA Quick Search look at when it runs a search query?

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Brian Selvy November 25, 2013

This didn't get answered, but I'm tired of getting the daily reminder emails about closing this, so I will.

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Brian Selvy November 18, 2013

Yes, I've opened a support ticket.

Udo Brand
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November 18, 2013

Keep us updated.

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Udo Brand
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November 12, 2013

You said he is typing in words, so the JQL would be

text~"word1 word2"

text means in summary, description or comments, but it is not word1 or word2 but word1 and word2 (and I'm not sure that both words need to be in the same field, but I guess so)

I just tried using two words. If I search them one by one I'll find issues, but the combination didn't return a single issue.

Could that be an explanation?

Brian Selvy November 12, 2013

Sorry - let me clarify: he is typing in a single word or alpha-numeric combination that he knows is either in the Summary, Description, or both fields of one of more issues. The quick search results do not return the full set of known issues that contain the word/alpha-numeric combination in the Summary or Description.

Udo Brand
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November 13, 2013

Hmm, so the phrase "abc" you are searching for exist as single word in issues (summary, decription or comment) which are not returned by the quick search, or are they only part of a word ("abcd" or "1abc") in those not found issues?.

Brian Selvy November 13, 2013
In your example, "abc" would be the whole word which was used in the quick search. "abc" would also be known to exist in set of issues, with the full word "abc" being contained either in the Summary or Description. The results would return some of the known instances but not all. Additionally, this user has tried "abc" in a word that is "xyzabc", and has had problems too (no results come back), but I assume that this probably is a syntax issue where "*abc" may need to be used (I'll have to try that).
Udo Brand
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November 13, 2013

The search for a part like "abc" in "1abd" is not possible at all but searching for "abc" in "abcd" is possible if you use a wildcard ("abc*").

However, if issues have a single word "abc" in summary, decription or comment and they aren't returned by the quick search, then that sound like a bug. You should open a support bug at Atlassian.

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