Query by date or current iteration in Azure Boards

Azure DevOps Services | Azure DevOps Server 2022 - Azure DevOps Server 2019

In this article, learn how to list work items based on when they were created, closed, resolved, or changed. You can specify a date or use a supported macro. Use the @Today macro and specify a plus or minus number of days for relative dates. For queries that list work items based on their assignment to a team's current sprint, use @CurrentIteration.

For example, find work items that were modified in the last three days with the following query.

Supported operators and macros

Query clauses that specify a DateTime field or the Iteration Path field can use the operators and macros listed in the following table.

Notes:

1. The @StartOfDay, @StartOfWeek, @StartOfMonth, and @StartOfYear macros are supported for Azure DevOps Server 2019.1 and later versions, and only when they run from the web portal.
2. The @CurrentIteration +/- n macro is supported for Azure DevOps Server 2019 and later versions, and only when it runs from the web portal.

Date and time pattern

The date and time pattern you enter for DateTime fields should match that which you select through your profile. To view or change your selection, see Set user preferences for Time and Locale.

Client restrictions on the use of the @CurrentIteration macros

You can use the @CurrentIteration macro in a query from the following clients:

• Web portal that connects to Azure Boards
• Visual Studio 2019 or later versions connected to Azure Boards
• The REST API

You can use the @CurrentIteration +/- n macro in a query against Azure Boards, Azure DevOps Server 2019, and later versions, and with a REST API that includes the team as a parameter. An example is @CurrentIteration('[Project]/Team').

An error occurs if you open a query that contains the @CurrentIteration macro in earlier versions of Visual Studio, or from Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Project. Also, you can't use the macro when copying or cloning test suites and test cases, defining alerts, or with REST APIs.

Date-based queries

Filter for work items by the date on which they were changed or for a specific time period. Limit the scope of your query, which can help with performance by only returning results that fit the date range that you include. If you're new to creating queries, see Use the query editor to list and manage queries.

Not all fields are valid for all work item types. Jump to date fields for the set of fields you can include in queries and the work item types to which they apply.

Create queries for your team's current iteration

If your team follows Scrum processes, you schedule work to be completed in sprints. You can track the progress of requirements, bugs, and other work to be completed in the current sprint by using the @CurrentIteration macro.

Any item assigned to a sprint that corresponds to the current iteration path for the team is found. For example, if a team is on Sprint 5, the query returns items assigned to Sprint 5. Later, when the team is working in Sprint 6, the same query returns items assigned to Sprint 6.

List work items moved out of a sprint

List work items that were defined for a sprint but later moved out by using a query with a clause that contains the Was Ever operator for the Iteration Path field. Only construct this query by using the WIQL syntax. Edit the WIQL syntax in Query Editor by installing the WIQL Editor Marketplace extension.

For example, the following syntax queries for work items meet the following criteria:

• Defined in the current project.
• Work item type equals User Story or Bug.
• Work items are under the Fabrikam Fiber Web team Area Path.
• Work items aren't in a Closed, Completed, Cut, or Resolved state.
• Not in the current iteration path for the Fabrikam Fiber Web team.
• Were assigned to the current iteration path for the Fabrikam Fiber Web team.
• Are now assigned to the current iteration +1 for the Fabrikam Fiber Web team.
• Were changed within the last 30 days (the length of the sprint).

SELECT
    [System.Id],
    [System.WorkItemType],
    [System.AssignedTo],
    [System.Title],
    [System.State],
    [System.Tags],
    [System.IterationPath],
    [System.AreaPath]
FROM workitems
WHERE
    [System.TeamProject] = @project
    AND [System.WorkItemType] IN ('User Story', 'Bug')
    AND [System.AreaPath] UNDER 'FabrikamFiber\Web'
    AND NOT [System.State] IN ('Completed', 'Closed', 'Cut', 'Resolved')
    AND NOT [System.IterationPath] = @currentIteration('[FabrikamFiber]\Web <id:cdf5e823-1179-4503-9fb1-a45e2c1bc6d4>')
    AND (
        EVER (
            [System.IterationPath] = @currentIteration('[FabrikamFiber]\Web <id:cdf5e823-1179-4503-9fb1-a45e2c1bc6d4>')
        )
        AND [System.IterationPath] = @currentIteration('[FabrikamFiber]\Web <id:cdf5e823-1179-4503-9fb1-a45e2c1bc6d4>') + 1
        AND [System.ChangedDate] >= @today - 30
    )
ORDER BY [System.Id]

The Query Editor view of the syntax appears as shown.

List work items added to a sprint after the start date

To list newly created work items added to a sprint after its start date, use a query similar to the one shown in the following image. This query works by filtering for work items assigned to the current sprint but were created after the start of the sprint date. Use the clause created Date = @Today - 28.

For other options for querying changes to sprint scope, see About Sprints, Scrum and project management, Sprint scope change.

Date and Iteration Path fields

Use Date fields to filter your queries. Some of these fields are populated with information as a work item progresses from one state to another. Several of these fields don't appear on the work item form, but they're tracked for those work item types listed in the following table.

Notes:

1. See also Query by assignment or workflow changes, Date, and Identity fields.

2. For these fields to be defined for a work item type, they must be included in the WORKFLOW section of the work item type definition. For example, this syntax is included within the FIELDS definition when transitioning to a Resolved state.

    <FIELD refname="Microsoft.VSTS.Common.ResolvedDate" />  
       <SERVERDEFAULT from="clock"  />  
    </FIELD >  
   

3. Start Date and Finish Date values are calculated if you create a project plan in Project and then synchronize that plan with tasks that are stored in Azure Boards. These fields might not appear on the work item form, but they're calculated for the backlog items and tasks that are linked to backlog items. You can view their read-only values in results from a query or from Excel.

   Important

   Microsoft Project Integration and the TFSFieldMapping command aren't supported for:

   • Visual Studio 2019 and Azure DevOps Office Integration 2019.
   • Azure DevOps Server 2019 and later versions, including Azure DevOps Services.

   Full support for Microsoft Excel integration is maintained and supports bulk import and update of work items. Alternatives to using Microsoft Project include:

   • Delivery Plans.
   • A Marketplace extension such as Project Connect or GANTT chart.

Related articles

• Query by assignment or workflow changes
• Define iteration (sprint) paths and configure team iterations
• Create managed queries with Query Editor
• Query operators and macros
• Work item fields and attributes
• Work Item Query Language (WIQL) syntax

REST API

To programmatically interact with queries, see one of these REST API resources:

• Azure DevOps Services REST API Reference
• Queries
• Work item query language
• Fetch work items with queries programmatically