smart value for date diff not working

[Tushar A.]

I have been using JIRA project automation to send reminder emails. The body of the email is a table which has a colume to be the difference between created date and now. I have tried multiple combination but none are returning any values in the generated email. there is no error in the audit log either. any pointers will be appreciated. 

<td>{{created.diff(now).hours}}</td>
<td>{{now.diff(issue.created).abs.days}}</td>

Pasting the body of the email 

<p><b>Total Issue Count</b>:{{issues.size}}</p>
<b>List of Issues</b>
<table>
<tr>
<th>Issue Key</th>
<th>Created</th>
<th>Assignee</th>
<th>Status</th>
<th>Open Duration(days)</th>
<th>Open Duration(days)</th>
</tr>
{{#issues}}
<tr>
<td><a href="{{toUrl}}">{{key}} -{{summary}} </a></td>
<td>{{created.format("dd/MM/yyyy")}}</td>
<td>{{assignee.displayName}}</td>
<td>{{status.name}}</td>
<td>{{created.diff(now).hours}}</td>
<td>{{now.diff(issue.created).abs.days}}</td>
</tr>
{{/}}
</table>

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Tushar A. 

When I tried your smart values alone, they worked for me.  Although I would add the issue. prefix to reduce confusion for others reading the rule.

Maybe there is a problem with your table mark-up, so try to implement it piece by piece to see what is causing the problem

Best regards,

Bill

[Tushar A.]

Thanks @Bill Sheboy

I have the other html options works, only one coming blank is this. When i add issue. it does not return any value. this is likely because of {{#issues}} that we have used. 

Will keep looking for a resolution. 

[Bruce MacNeil]

Hi, I am also experiencing this issue with the use of the diff function.  In the email body:

{{#=}}

{{issue.created.jiraDate}}
{{now.jiraDate}}
{{issue.created.diff(now).days}}

{{/}}

Results in a rule execution error with the Send Email action:

Error rendering smart-values when executing this rule:
Too many numbers or variables: 2020-04-08 2020-11-12 218

2020-04-08 is the correct created date

2020-11-12 is now

218 days is the correct days difference

Not sure what is causing the error. Any help would be appreciated.

Best regards, Bruce

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Bruce MacNeil   -- Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

You are getting that error because you are using the math operations {{#=}} with multiple smart values, but not doing math with the issue values.

If you want to just do that for one issue, drop the {{#=}} and the {{/}}

If you are doing that for a list of issues, such as from Lookup Issues, then instead try something like:

{{#lookupIssues}}
* <a href="{{url}}">{{key}} - {{summary} - Created: {{created}} -- Elapsed days: {{created.diff(now).days}}</a>
{{/}}

Best regards,

Bill

[Bruce MacNeil]

Hi @William Sheboy thanks so much for your reply!

{{issue.created.diff(now).days}} by itself outputs the correct # of days

I also put a MAX() around my initial attempt, using {{#=}} it as well outputs the correct # of days:

{{#=}}
MAX({{issue.created.diff(now).days}})
{{/}}

But I get no output when I want to iterate though all issues in my JQL set of issues, this is what @Tushar A. had reported:

{{#issues}}
{{created.diff(now).days}}
{{/}}

I tried using {{issue.created.diff(now).days}}, same result (no output).

I do not have the Lookup Issues action available to me, I believe this might be due to the fact that I am running on Jira Data Center.  I am creating my JQL set of issues via the Scheduled trigger.

Thanks again for your help.

Best regards, Bruce

[Bill Sheboy]

Bruce, would you please post an image of your complete rule?  That may help reveal where the issue is occurring. 

And, I suspect that because server and data center do not have LookupIssues or Create Variable, you may need to get creative to accumulate string values from a list (to build your email markup), perhaps using properties or custom fields in a specific issue as containers.

Thanks!

__Bill

[Bruce MacNeil]

Hi Bill, here is the rule, it is very simple for debugging purposes.  In the email body, I only have:

{{#issues}}
{{created.diff(now).days}}
{{/}}

I do get the email, with the set subject line, but nothing in the email body.

If I only have {{issue.created.diff(now).days}} in the email body, no {{#issues}} {{/}} wrapped around it, I do get a correct number of days in the the email (body) but of course only for one issue in the JQL set of issues.  My JQL set contains > 1 issue, as confirmed by Validate query.

Thanks, Bruce

[Bill Sheboy]

Thanks, @Bruce MacNeil 

I am still experimenting with this (although in Cloud) and I believe that we have discovered two valuable things about the Scheduled Trigger, both worthy of submitting defects to support...

1) Try this in a log entry:

The number of issues is: {{issues.size}}

This returns 0 or 1, and in fact does not return the number of issues returned by the scheduled JQL, as noted in the documentation: https://confluence.atlassian.com/automation/smart-values-993924860.html

and B) Try this in a log entry:

{{now}} -- {{#issues}}* {{key}}, now: {{now}} {{/}}

This returns the value of {{now}}, followed by a list of the keys, and no values for {{now}} inside of the list structure: {{now}} does not work inside of Schedule Trigger lists.

There may still be a work-around to ponder.  As you have discovered these, I'll give you the honor of submitting the defects.  ;^)

Best regards,

Bill

[Bill Sheboy]

The only work-around I found for open/active day count for the Scheduled Trigger's list is to:

• Make a minor edit to each returned issue.  For example, add a space after the description field with the edit action.
• Change your calculation to use updated rather than now: {{created.diff(updated).days}}

The context within the list's iterator only seems to recognize fields within the issues of the list.

[Bruce MacNeil]

Hi @Bill Sheboy 

I am seeing the correct {{issues.size}}, my JQL produces 2 issues, and in the log:

The number of issues is: 2

I placed {{now}} -- {{#issues}}* {{key}}, now: {{now}} {{/}} as an audit log action, and I as well see that there in no value for {{now}} when processed by the list iterator.

Using {{created.diff(updated).days}} instead of {{now}}, the correct days difference is included for both issues in my JQL set, when processed by the list iterator.

I will raise a bug / defect for the use of {{now}} in Scheduled trigger lists.

Many thanks!

Best regards, Bruce

[Bill Sheboy]

Bruce, I am glad that worked for you!

I already submitted the ticket for Cloud for both, so you can submit the one for {{now}} for server.  It appears that the size() problem is only for Cloud.

Specifically for the {{now}} issue, I tested several other smart values within the scope of the iterator, and it appears that only the scheduled trigger's returned items' smart values can be used.  (Whew, that's a subtle defect!)

Have a good one,

Bill

[Deleted user]

I've got the same issue when using #lookupIssues - {{now}} returns an empty string. It appears that this might be a wider defect ie. "within any list only the current item's smart values can be used." I encountered this today using Jira cloud.

For reference, my use case is almost identical to the above - automating an email to display the age of items selected via JQL:

{{#lookupIssues}}
<tr><td style="width:15%"><a href="{{url}}">{{key}}</a></td><td style="width:70%">{{summary}}</td><td style="width:15%">{{created.diff(now).days}}</td></tr>
{{/}}

At the minute I can't think of a workaround for my use case. Not many fields are made available whilst iterating in the Lookup Issues action (see https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/automation-actions/#Automationactions-Lookupissues) so it doesn't seem like it's possible to do something with custom fields.

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @[deleted] 

Yup, at this time those fields and functions are not available within Lookup Issues:

• https://codebarrel.atlassian.net/browse/AUT-1996
• https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JRACLOUD-75018

One work-around for your use case is to use a custom field and scheduled rule to compute the age, and then subscribe to a filter to get the list with the value.  We are doing something similar for Age of WIP:

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Automation-discussions/What-is-your-most-useful-automation-Here-is-mine/m-p/1561072#M34

Best regards,

Bill

[Dileep Kumar Simhadri]

Please try now() (with parentheses) and it should work. I tried with the smartvalue: {{sprint.endDate.diff(now()).days.abs}} and it worked.

[Bill Sheboy]

Thanks, @Dileep Kumar Simhadri 

It seems various functions, when used in smart value parsing, are a bit inconsistent in regarding when the parentheses work / don't work.  Sometimes the expressions appear to collapse to null values instead.