How to create a filter when epic link contains a substring

[dennis.werner]

This does not work in a filter:
(issueType = Story OR issueType = Bug) AND "Epic Link" ~ "X"

because

• The operator '~' is not supported by the 'Epic Link' field.

Each user story has an epic link's title showing in the Epic Link field of the user story.  But behind the scenes, it's probably something obtuse like "https://ctl.atlassian.net/browse/D2SND-4245"

Is nesting possible?  Like title(epic link) contains "X"?

[Bill Sheboy · Accepted solution]

Hi @dennis.werner 

That is not possible with out-of-the-box JQL. 

The Epic Link is currently a field for company-managed project stories/bugs/tasks, and the field you are trying to query is Epic Name...which is part of the epic.  As soon as you filtered down to Story or Bug the epic name couldn't be checked.

How often do you need to solve this type of query, as that may give you work-around approaches?

• Needed one time: do this manually (or with an export to a spreadsheet)
  • Break the query into two parts: find the epics matching your query, saving their Keys
  • Use the resulting list of epic keys to prune down your matching Epic Links
• Needed often, and can purchase add-ons
  • Look at the marketplace for JQL addon apps which allow nested searches

Kind regards,
Bill

[dennis.werner]

I guess all my years of using REAL query languages has jaded me.

This seems such a simple ask.  [EpicLink.EpicName contains "X"]  Or a select within select.  Or, or, or etc.

I just wish they hadn't called it JQL = Jira Query Language. 
Because I immediately think logically and try using standard database "Query Language" syntax alternatives.

Because if an AddOn product can do it, then the original product should be able to do it.

Thanks for the quick answer.

[Bill Sheboy]

Yup, JQL is no ISO-flavor of SQL  :^)