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compose: Don't show compose box for private, unsubscribed channels #1652

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compose: Don't show compose box for private, unsubscribed channels #1652

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1002a9b
msglist test [nfc]: Move a Finder helper outward for reuse
chrisbobbe Jun 27, 2025
d732415
compose: Don't show compose box for private, unsubscribed channels
chrisbobbe Jun 27, 2025
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8 changes: 6 additions & 2 deletions lib/widgets/compose_box.dart
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -2064,8 +2064,12 @@ class _ComposeBoxState extends State<ComposeBox> with PerAccountStoreAwareStateM
case ChannelNarrow(:final streamId):
case TopicNarrow(:final streamId):
final channel = store.streams[streamId];
if (channel == null || !store.hasPostingPermission(inChannel: channel,
user: store.selfUser, byDate: DateTime.now())) {
if (
channel == null
|| (channel.inviteOnly && channel is! Subscription)
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Huh interesting. Is this the right logic?

You could be viewing a channel that's private, you're not subscribed, but you have content access to (now that that's a thing). In that case I'd expect the rule for whether you can post to be the same as it is for a public channel.

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@chrisbobbe chrisbobbe Jul 3, 2025 •
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you have content access to (now that that's a thing)

Are you thinking of shared vs. protected history, or is there a newer feature than that that I'm not aware of?

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This one: https://zulip.com/help/configure-who-can-subscribe

This permission grants access to channel content: users who are allowed to subscribe to a channel will also be able to read messages in it without subscribing.

It looks like in order to send, one then has to actually subscribe:

A designer on the team could then follow a link to a conversation in the private engineering channel, and read it without subscribing. They could subscribe if they need to send a message there, without asking for help.

Seems like a wart that that's different from the behavior for public channels, though. And ISTR a recent chat thread where either Alya or Tim said that behavior for public channels was likely to change.

I think the upshot is:

  • this logic should live somewhere more central, in model code; probably within the hasPostingPermission method (which in turn should ultimately be on ChannelStore, after other refactors);
  • the public-vs-private quirk should get a comment pointing to the help page and/or to a relevant chat thread;
  • let's finish taking care of search and some other priorities before returning to finish this 🙂

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zulip/zulip#21433 has some work by a current GSoC participant.

|| !store.hasPostingPermission(inChannel: channel,
user: store.selfUser, byDate: DateTime.now())
) {
return _ErrorBanner(getLabel: (zulipLocalizations) =>
zulipLocalizations.errorBannerCannotPostInChannelLabel);
}
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91 changes: 89 additions & 2 deletions test/widgets/compose_box_test.dart
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Expand Up @@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ void main() {
User? selfUser,
List<User> otherUsers = const [],
List<ZulipStream> streams = const [],
List<Subscription> subscriptions = const [],
List<Message>? messages,
bool? mandatoryTopics,
int? zulipFeatureLevel,
Expand All @@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ void main() {
await testBinding.globalStore.add(selfAccount, eg.initialSnapshot(
realmUsers: [selfUser, ...otherUsers],
streams: streams,
subscriptions: subscriptions,
zulipFeatureLevel: zulipFeatureLevel,
realmMandatoryTopics: mandatoryTopics,
realmAllowMessageEditing: true,
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1281,7 +1283,7 @@ void main() {
});
});

group('in channel/topic narrow according to channel post policy', () {
group('in channel/topic narrow according to channel post policy and privacy/subscribed', () {
void checkComposeBox({required bool isShown}) => checkComposeBoxIsShown(isShown,
bannerLabel: zulipLocalizations.errorBannerCannotPostInChannelLabel);

Expand All @@ -1300,14 +1302,25 @@ void main() {
checkComposeBox(isShown: true);
});

testWidgets('error banner is shown in $narrowType narrow', (tester) async {
testWidgets('error banner is shown in $narrowType narrow without posting permission', (tester) async {
await prepareComposeBox(tester,
narrow: narrow,
selfUser: eg.user(role: UserRole.moderator),
streams: [eg.stream(streamId: 1,
channelPostPolicy: ChannelPostPolicy.administrators)]);
checkComposeBox(isShown: false);
});

testWidgets('error banner is shown in $narrowType when private and unsubscribed', (tester) async {
await prepareComposeBox(tester,
narrow: narrow,
selfUser: eg.user(role: UserRole.moderator),
streams: [eg.stream(streamId: 1,
channelPostPolicy: ChannelPostPolicy.any,
inviteOnly: true)]);
check(store.subscriptions[1]).isNull();
checkComposeBox(isShown: false);
});
}

testWidgets('user loses privilege -> compose box is replaced with the banner', (tester) async {
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1375,6 +1388,80 @@ void main() {
await tester.pump();
checkComposeBox(isShown: true);
});

testWidgets('unsubscribed private channel becomes public -> banner is replaced with the compose box', (tester) async {
final selfUser = eg.user(role: UserRole.moderator);
final channel = eg.stream(streamId: 1, inviteOnly: true,
channelPostPolicy: ChannelPostPolicy.any);

await prepareComposeBox(tester,
narrow: const ChannelNarrow(1),
selfUser: selfUser,
streams: [channel]);
check(store.subscriptions[1]).isNull();
checkComposeBox(isShown: false);

await store.handleEvent(eg.channelUpdateEvent(channel,
property: ChannelPropertyName.inviteOnly,
value: false));
await tester.pump();
checkComposeBox(isShown: true);
});

testWidgets('unsubscribed public channel becomes private -> compose box is replaced with the banner', (tester) async {
final selfUser = eg.user(role: UserRole.moderator);
final channel = eg.stream(streamId: 1, inviteOnly: false,
channelPostPolicy: ChannelPostPolicy.any);

await prepareComposeBox(tester,
narrow: const ChannelNarrow(1),
selfUser: selfUser,
streams: [channel]);
check(store.subscriptions[1]).isNull();
checkComposeBox(isShown: true);

await store.handleEvent(eg.channelUpdateEvent(channel,
property: ChannelPropertyName.inviteOnly,
value: true));
await tester.pump();
checkComposeBox(isShown: false);
});

testWidgets('unsubscribed private channel becomes subscribed -> banner is replaced with the compose box', (tester) async {
final selfUser = eg.user(role: UserRole.moderator);
final channel = eg.stream(streamId: 1, inviteOnly: true,
channelPostPolicy: ChannelPostPolicy.any);

await prepareComposeBox(tester,
narrow: const ChannelNarrow(1),
selfUser: selfUser,
streams: [channel]);
check(store.subscriptions[1]).isNull();
checkComposeBox(isShown: false);

await store.handleEvent(SubscriptionAddEvent(id: 1,
subscriptions: [eg.subscription(channel)]));
await tester.pump();
checkComposeBox(isShown: true);
});

testWidgets('subscribed private channel becomes unsubscribed -> compose box is replaced with the banner', (tester) async {
final selfUser = eg.user(role: UserRole.moderator);
final channel = eg.stream(streamId: 1, inviteOnly: true,
channelPostPolicy: ChannelPostPolicy.any);

await prepareComposeBox(tester,
narrow: const ChannelNarrow(1),
selfUser: selfUser,
streams: [channel],
subscriptions: [eg.subscription(channel)]);
checkComposeBox(isShown: true);

await store.handleEvent(SubscriptionRemoveEvent(id: 1,
streamIds: [channel.streamId]));
await tester.pump();
checkComposeBox(isShown: false);
});
});
});

Expand Down
6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions test/widgets/message_list_test.dart
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ void main() {
return findScrollView(tester).controller;
}

final contentInputFinder = find.byWidgetPredicate(
(widget) => widget is TextField && widget.controller is ComposeContentController);

group('MessageListPage', () {
testWidgets('ancestorOf finds page state from message', (tester) async {
await setupMessageListPage(tester,
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1634,9 +1637,6 @@ void main() {
final topicNarrow = eg.topicNarrow(stream.streamId, topic);
const content = 'outbox message content';

final contentInputFinder = find.byWidgetPredicate(
(widget) => widget is TextField && widget.controller is ComposeContentController);

Finder outboxMessageFinder = find.widgetWithText(
OutboxMessageWithPossibleSender, content, skipOffstage: true);

Expand Down