04/07 updated linking ticket

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()