Q: How do I change from relative dates to absolute dates in Request Tracker search results ?

• How do I change from relative dates to absolute dates in Request Tracker search results?
• How can I get rid of the "5 days ago" display in date fields?
• How do I customize how dates display in search result listings?

Context

• Request Tracker (RT) on help.mit.edu
• Ticket tracking at MIT

Answer

Some of your RT search results may show "relative dates," such as "5 days ago," instead of absolute dates, such as "03/13/2011 10:39:57." If you need to change from relative date displays to absolute date displays in search result listings, you can do so via your personal settings:

1. Go to the "Logged in as ..." menu and select Settings then Search options.
   Result: This will take you to a page titled Search Preferences on which you can customize your default search results sort order, displayed columns, and column formatting.
2. Find the "Display Columns" section.
3. Find the Show Columns box.
   This box lists the columns that are selected for display in your default search results. Scroll through the box to familiarize yourself with the columns.

Any relative date columns in your default search results columns will be indicated by the word "Relative" after the field name. Possibilities are:

• StartsRelative
• StartedRelative
• CreatedRelative
• LastUpdatedRelative
• ToldRelative
• DueRelative
• ResolvedRelative
• OwnedSinceRelative

You can remove any relative date column from your default search results by:

1. Select (highlight) the relative date column you want to remove in the Show Columns box.
2. Click the Delete button below the Show Columns box.
   Result: The field will be immediately removed from your default search results columns.

You can add any non-relative date column to your default search results by:

1. Select (highlight) the non-relative date column you want to add in the Add Columns box.
2. Click the button with the right-pointing arrow to add the field to the Show Columns box.
3. Change the order of columns in the Show Columns box by selecting (highlighting) an item and clicking the up or down arrow buttons below the box
   Ordering in the Show Columns box will determine the left-to-right order in which columns display in your default search results.