04/07 updated linking ticket

app/routes/api.py

@@ -188,3 +188,46 @@ def search_users():
         }
         for u in users
     ]})
+
+
+# ─── Ticket Search API ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+@api_bp.route('/tickets/search')
+@login_required
+def search_tickets():
+    """Return tickets matching a query string, used by the link-ticket picker.
+
+    Searches ticket_number and title (case-insensitive).
+    ?q=<search term>  — required, min 1 char
+    ?exclude=<id>     — ticket ID to exclude (the current ticket)
+    Restricted to IT staff only.
+    """
+    if not current_user.is_it_staff:
+        return jsonify({'error': 'Forbidden'}), 403
+
+    q          = request.args.get('q', '').strip()
+    exclude_id = request.args.get('exclude', 0, type=int)
+
+    if not q:
+        return jsonify({'tickets': []})
+
+    from app.models import Ticket
+    query = Ticket.query.filter(
+        Ticket.ticket_number.ilike(f'%{q}%') |
+        Ticket.title.ilike(f'%{q}%')
+    )
+    if exclude_id:
+        query = query.filter(Ticket.id != exclude_id)
+
+    results = query.order_by(Ticket.created_at.desc()).limit(10).all()
+    logger.info(f'[TICKET SEARCH] q="{q}" results={len(results)} user_id={current_user.id}')
+    return jsonify({'tickets': [
+        {
+            'id'           : t.id,
+            'ticket_number': t.ticket_number,
+            'title'        : t.title,
+            'status'       : t.status,
+            'priority'     : t.priority,
+        }
+        for t in results
+    ]})

app/routes/tickets.py

@@ -687,22 +687,32 @@ def link_ticket(ticket_id):
         abort(403)
 
     ticket = db.session.get(Ticket, ticket_id) or abort(404)
-    other_id  = request.form.get('linked_ticket_id', type=int)
+    raw_input = request.form.get('linked_ticket_id', '').strip()
     link_type = request.form.get('link_type', 'related')
 
-    if not other_id:
-        flash('Please specify a ticket to link.', 'danger')
+    if not raw_input:
+        flash('Please search for and select a ticket to link.', 'danger')
         return redirect(url_for('tickets.ticket_detail', ticket_id=ticket_id))
 
+    # Resolve by ticket_number (e.g. TKT-20260406-0001) or numeric DB id
+    if raw_input.upper().startswith('TKT-'):
+        other = Ticket.query.filter_by(ticket_number=raw_input.upper()).first()
+    else:
+        try:
+            other = db.session.get(Ticket, int(raw_input))
+        except ValueError:
+            other = Ticket.query.filter_by(ticket_number=raw_input.upper()).first()
+
+    if not other:
+        flash(f'Ticket "{raw_input}" not found.', 'danger')
+        return redirect(url_for('tickets.ticket_detail', ticket_id=ticket_id))
+
+    other_id = other.id
+
     if other_id == ticket_id:
         flash('A ticket cannot be linked to itself.', 'danger')
         return redirect(url_for('tickets.ticket_detail', ticket_id=ticket_id))
 
-    other = db.session.get(Ticket, other_id)
-    if not other:
-        flash(f'Ticket #{other_id} not found.', 'danger')
-        return redirect(url_for('tickets.ticket_detail', ticket_id=ticket_id))
-
     # Enforce canonical ordering (smaller id first) for the uniqueness constraint
     a, b = sorted([ticket_id, other_id])
     existing = TicketLink.query.filter_by(ticket_id=a, linked_ticket_id=b).first()