English Documentation: Natural Searchers - server version

Owned by Martin Bali (Deactivated)
Last updated: Feb 17, 2023
3 min read

Natural ordering and statistical values for text fields

Natural Searchers for Jira is an app that enhances the functionality of text fields in your Jira instance. With two additional searchers, this app enables users to easily sort text fields in natural order and view statistical values. The app includes an overview screen for quick access to configuration screens and a viewfinder that makes text fields usable in gadgets.

In short, this app adds text field searcher with natural order. E.g. z9.bat is before z10.bat as would a human expects.

There are actually two searchers: - Free text searcher (natural) should behave as built-in searcher, just provides natural sorting. - Exact text searcher (natural) provides also possibility to use text field in statistical gadgets.

Natural ordering of text fields

Table of contents:

App installation

There are several ways to install an app in your Jira instance. You can do it via Marketplace or through Jira Administration. They are all well documented on Atlassian Support page:

Installing Marketplace apps | Atlassian Support | Atlassian Documentation

App configuration

  1. Navigate to your Jira administration, section Issues.

  2. Head to the sub-section Fields - Natural Searchers.

  3. On this screen you can see where the Natural Searchers are used.

    Overview screen

  4. Using the drop-down in the upper right corner, you can select which text field you want to configure.

  5. Press the Configure button to start the configuration of a selected field.

  6. Here you can configure the type of Search Template you want to use for your field.

    1. Choose Free Text Searcher (natural) for fields to be used for searching and ordering by values in text fields. For when you need to have “keys” to search for in a text field, but do not want to use option list.

    2. Choose Exact Text Searcher (natural) for fields to be used in gadgets for statistical values. Searcher does not offer LIKE operator when searching for Issues.

  7. When finished, click on Update to confirm the configuration.

  8. Afterwards, the system will ask you to perform a re-index. Follow the on-screen instructions to perform re-indexing for the changes to take effect.

  9. The field you just configured will show on the Overview screen.

 

Text fields usage - Ordering

  1. Navigate to Issue Navigator screen

  2. Search for the issues you need.

  3. Make sure the text field you want to order by is visible as Column.

  4. Click on the title of your chosen text field to make use of natural ordering.

Text fields usage - Statistical values

  1. Place any statistical gadget on your Dashboard.

  2. For example Two Dimensional Filter Statistics.

  3. Now when choosing its Axis, you can use the Custom text field, which you configured as Exact Text Searcher (natural).

  4. Because of this configuration, text fields become usable for statistical values. In the example below, field Text address of location is a custom text field configured with Natural Searchers.

App uninstallation

  1. Navigate to your Jira administration, section Issues.

  2. Head to the sub-section Fields - Natural Searchers.

  3. Re-configure all fields you used Natural Searchers with to use other Search Template than those provided by Natural Searchers.

  4. Afterwards, navigate to Manage apps, where you can uninstall the application.

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