Sometimes summary field text contains special characters '@', '/', '$', '^' etc. How can I handle it

[Deepali Srivastava]

Summary field text sometimes contains some special characters  '@', '/', '$', '^' etc. How can I handle it using jql, so that my rule doesn't get failed.

[Mikel Garcia Bartolome]

There are a couple of ways to handle special characters in the Summary field while using JQL in Jira to ensure your rules don't fail:

• Escape the Characters

JQL uses special characters for its own operators, so when searching for literal special characters in the Summary field, you need to escape them with a backslash (\). Here's the syntax:

summary ~ "\\@"

This searches for issues where the Summary field literally contains "@" symbol. You can use this approach for other special characters like "/" (\$), "^" (\^), etc.

• Use Wildcard Characters

If you're not interested in the exact special character but want to match summaries containing any special characters, you can use wildcard characters:

•  ? - Matches any single character.
• ** * ** - Matches zero or more characters.

For example:

summary ~ ".*[@$/^].*"

This searches for issues where the Summary field contains any of the characters "@", "/", "$", or "^" at any position.

• Consider Alternative Search Criteria

If the special characters aren't crucial for your search, consider using other fields that might not be affected by them. For instance, you could search the Description field instead, or use labels or components to filter issues.

Additional Tips:

• Test your JQL: Before applying the JQL to your rules, test it in the advanced search to ensure it returns the expected results.
• Character Encoding: If you're facing issues with specific characters and suspect encoding problems, consult your Jira administrator to ensure proper encoding settings.

By following these approaches, you should effectively handle special characters in the Summary field while using JQL in your Jira.