Bugzilla trick: Static Bug List URLs.

There is a simple although round-about way to produce a Bugzilla query with an explicit list of bugs numbers.

Begin on the Bugzilla search page. That might be something like

http://bugs/query.cgi

on your system. Set up your search criteria in the usual way. When you click the “Search” button, the URL will contain the details of your search. For example:

 http://bugs/buglist.cgi
	?query_format=advanced
	&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr
	&short_desc=
	&product=MyProduct
	&component=MyComponent
	&target_milestone=1.2.4
	&target_milestone=1.2.5
	&long_desc_type=substring
	&long_desc=
	&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr
	&bug_file_loc=
	&status_whiteboard_type=allwordssubstr
	&status_whiteboard=
	&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED
	&bug_status=NEW
	&bug_status=ASSIGNED
	&bug_status=REOPENED
	&emailassigned_to1=1
	&emailtype1=substring
	&email1=
	&emailassigned_to2=1
	&emailreporter2=1
	&emailqa_contact2=1
	&emailcc2=1
	&emailtype2=substring
	&email2=
	&bugidtype=include
	&bug_id=
	&votes=
	&chfieldfrom=
	&chfieldto=Now
	&chfieldvalue=
	&cmdtype=doit
	&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time
	&field0-0-0=noop
	&type0-0-0=noop
	&value0-0-0=

(I’ve split the URL over several lines to make it easier to read.)

This URL may be used to communicate a dynamic bug list to a colleague. The result of such a URL, however, will vary over time as the state of the bugs change.

Such a query can often be cut down, by removing fields from the query that are empty, associated with another empty field, are unimportant, or have a default value. For example:

http://bugs/buglist.cgi
	?query_format=advanced
	&product=MyProduct
	&component=MyComponent
	&target_milestone=1.2.4
	&target_milestone=1.2.5
	&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED
	&bug_status=NEW
	&bug_status=ASSIGNED
	&bug_status=REOPENED

This might be more convenient sometimes. There is a possibility, though, that a cut-down URL like this might produce different results on Bugzilla accounts with different default settings.

Alternatively, from the full URL, select any bug in the list, and then follow the link “Show last search results”. The URL will now be

http://bugs/buglist.cgi?regetlastlist=1

Clearly, this is ‘stateful’, i.e. is dependent upon the state of the querying account. Now follow the “Edit search” link.

Lo and behold, the only search criterion is now the “Only include bugs numbered” field, which might contain something like

1234,1357,2345

and the URL will now be something like

http://bugs/query.cgi?bug_id=1234%2C1357%2C2345
	&field-1-0-0=bug_id
	&query_format=advanced
	&type-1-0-0=anyexact
	&value-1-0-0=1234%2C1357%2C2345

where “%2C” has been used to encode the comma. Now click the “Search” button. The URL will now be something like

http://bugs/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced
	&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr
	&short_desc=
	&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr
	&long_desc=
	&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr
	&bug_file_loc=
	&status_whiteboard_type=allwordssubstr
	&status_whiteboard=
	&emailtype1=substring
	&email1=
	&emailtype2=substring
	&email2=
	&bugidtype=include
	&bug_id=1234%2C1357%2C2345
	&votes=
	&chfieldfrom=
	&chfieldto=Now
	&chfieldvalue=
	&cmdtype=doit
	&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time
	&field0-0-0=noop
	&type0-0-0=noop
	&value0-0-0=

This URL may be used to communicate a static bug list to a colleague.

It could be cut down to just

 http://bugs/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced
	&bug_id=1234%2C1357%2C2345

Summary of the steps to produce a static bug-list URL:

1. Enter search criteria on e.g. http://bugs/query.cgi
2. click “Search” button
3. select any bug
4. follow “Show last search results” link
5. follow “Edit search” link
6. click “Search” button
7. (optionally) edit the URL

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