Parse a datestring in a smartvalue

[Seth Hettich]

I'm trying to fill in a date field via automation (smartvalue).  The issue is created from another system via webhook, and I can't change the date format.  How can I have jira parse an arbitrary date format, eg how can I provide the format string to parse the string into a date?

[Fabian Lim]

Hi @Seth Hettich

You will have to play with the string and date smart value functions.

String smart values: https://support.atlassian.com/cloud-automation/docs/jira-smart-values-text-fields/

Date smart values: https://support.atlassian.com/cloud-automation/docs/jira-smart-values-date-and-time/ 

Regards

[Seth Hettich]

I don't see how that would work. The string functions are just things like substring, there is nothing like java.time.LocalDate.parse()

The second link only lets your format a date object in various ways, not generate one from a string (at least not that I can see).

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Seth Hettich -- Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

Yes, and...to what Fabian suggests:

Once you get your date into a string/text format, try using toDate to convert it.

Kind regards,
Bill

[Seth Hettich]

I can't seem to get it into a string fomat that toDate will accept, eg:

"{{issue.description.match("Created Time: (\d\d/\d\d/\d\d\d\d) \d\d:\d\d:\d\d [+]\d\d\d\d").replaceAll("(\d\d)/(\d\d)(\d\d\d\d)", "$2-$1-$3")}}"

generates a string the whole date (with slashes)

[Bill Sheboy]

I am unclear what that source format is you are getting, and I recommend starting with just the date in Jira Date format, yyyy-mm-dd, and write the source and the parsed values to the log as you confirm it.  Once that works, try adding the time information.

[Seth Hettich]

The input comes in the description from an external system, so I can't change it.

The format is:

MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS +Z

[Bill Sheboy]

Thanks for that information.  I recommend parsing out the text version of the date/time as you have done and storing that in a created variable.  Then try the toDate conversion on that.

[Seth Hettich]

The issue is that call to replaceAll produces a string of the format "MM/DD/YYYY"

[Bill Sheboy]

In that case, please take your replaceAll result, and save that in a created variable,

Then use other text functions such as substring() to pull that apart and put it into the jiraDate format yyyy-mm-dd, and

Then try the conversion with toDate.