Maniphest T272071

Investigate how to retain Discussion tools beta feature when some sub-features are fully deployed
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Description

This task is about investigating if and how we can make it so the Discussion tools beta feature can remain available/visible in Beta Features [i] on a given wiki where some of the Discussion tools' sub-features are available by default.

Background

As we unearthed in T270119#6745654, when any one of the Discussion Tools beta feature's sub-feature [i] is made available as an opt-out setting, the Discussion Tools beta feature is removed from Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures.

This is problematic because it [currently] means it will not be possible for some Talk page project features [ii] to be available as beta features and others as opt-out settings.

Requirements

The Discussion tools beta feature is visible in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures regardless of how its sub-features [ii] are deployed on a given wiki

Behavior

Scenario A: for people who 1) enable the Discussion tools beta feature to gain access to Sub-feature A and 2) Sub-feature A is "graduated" to be an opt-out setting:
- The Discussion tools beta feature will not appear in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures
- Sub-feature A will appear in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing
- These peoples' choice to enable the Discussion tools beta feature will be remembered indefinitely

Scenario B: for people who 1) enabled the Discussion tools beta feature to gain access to Sub-feature A, 2) Sub-feature A is "graduated" to be an opt-out setting AND 3) `Sub-feature B is introduced as a beta feature:
- The Discussion tools beta feature will re-appear enabled in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures
- Sub-feature A will appear in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing
- Sub-feature B will appear in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing

Done

The ===Behavior above is implemented OR we have documented the reasons why this ===Behavior cannot be implemented.

i. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures
ii. E.g. Reply Tool, New Discussion Tool, Visual enhancements

Details

	Subject	Repo	Branch	Lines +/-
	Preserve a user's beta preference when not in beta	mediawiki/extensions/DiscussionTools	master	+13 -0

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Related Objects
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Status	Assigned	Task
Open	None	T276497 Scale DiscussionTools to all projects
Open	None	T251207 [Epic] Scale DiscussionTools to all Wikipedias
Open	None	T262331 [Release ticket] Make Reply Tool available as opt-out preference at all Wikipedias
Open	None	T269062 Make the the Reply Tool available as an opt-out preference at all Phase 0, 1, 2 and 3 Wikipedias
Resolved	• ppelberg	T272071 Investigate how to retain Discussion tools beta feature when some sub-features are fully deployed

Event Timeline

• ppelberg created this task.Jan 14 2021, 7:15 PM

Making the beta feature available/visible is easy, just… don't disable it ($wgDiscussionToolsBeta = true;), and make each sub-feature available regardless of the beta feature ($wgDiscussionTools_replytool = 'available';, etc.). We implemented these separate config options for each sub-feature recently in T270121.

I though we wanted to make it invisible but still existing, to avoid the user's settings being cleared automatically – which would also be easy enough by registering an api (hidden) preference with the same name when the beta feature is disabled.

I agree, I don't think the beta feature needs to be visible if it does nothing, we just don't want it to wipe a user's previous preference.

Change 656277 had a related patch set uploaded (by Esanders; owner: Esanders):
[mediawiki/extensions/DiscussionTools@master] Preserve a user's beta preference when not in beta

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/656277

gerritbot added a project: Patch-For-Review.Jan 14 2021, 11:46 PM

In T272071#6749065, @matmarex wrote:

I though we wanted to make it invisible but still existing, to avoid the user's settings being cleared automatically – which would also be easy enough by registering an api (hidden) preference with the same name when the beta feature is disabled.

In T272071#6749838, @Esanders wrote:

I agree, I don't think the beta feature needs to be visible if it does nothing, we just don't want it to wipe a user's previous preference.

@matmarex + @Esanders: I think I agree with what y'all are saying above. To be sure, can you please confirm the patch above [i] will work as follows:

Scenario A: for people who 1) enable the Discussion tools beta feature to gain access to Sub-feature A and 2) Sub-feature A is "graduated" to be an opt-out setting:
- The Discussion tools beta feature will not appear in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures
- Sub-feature A will appear in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing
- These peoples' choice to enable the Discussion tools beta feature will be remembered indefinitely

Scenario B: for people who 1) enabled the Discussion tools beta feature to gain access to Sub-feature A, 2) Sub-feature A is "graduated" to be an opt-out setting AND 3) `Sub-feature B is introduced as a beta feature:
- The Discussion tools beta feature will re-appear enabled in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures
- Sub-feature A will appear in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing
- Sub-feature B will appear in Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing

i. https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/DiscussionTools/+/656277/

Yes

Change 656277 merged by jenkins-bot:
[mediawiki/extensions/DiscussionTools@master] Preserve a user's beta preference when not in beta

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/656277

matmarex moved this task from Incoming to Ready for Sign Off on the Editing-team (Kanban Board) board.Jan 15 2021, 1:47 PM

matmarex mentioned this in T270119: Create a setting for the New Discussion Tool in Special:Preferences.Jan 15 2021, 1:56 PM

ReleaseTaggerBot added a project: MW-1.36-notes (1.36.0-wmf.27; 2021-01-19).Jan 15 2021, 2:00 PM

Maintenance_bot removed a project: Patch-For-Review.Jan 15 2021, 2:10 PM

In T272071#6751258, @matmarex wrote:

Yes

Okay, great. Thank you for confirming.

• ppelberg updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 16 2021, 2:44 AM

• ppelberg updated the task description. (Show Details)

I am assuming this patch is working as expected and this ticket can be resolved considering:

I've been able to verify Scenario B (described in the task description) is working as expected (see "Testing steps" below).
Engineering has verified Scenario A (described in the task description) is working as expected

@matmarex, if either of the above is not true, please re-open this task and comment as much.

Testing steps

Visit a wiki where the Reply Tool is available as an opt-out preference and the New Discussion Tool is available as a beta feature (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmflabs.org/wiki/Main_Page)
Visit Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmflabs.org/wiki/Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures)
✅Notice the Discussion tools beta feature is listed

Lens0021 unsubscribed.Apr 17 2021, 5:52 AM

Investigate how to retain Discussion tools beta feature when some sub-features are fully deployedClosed, ResolvedPublicActions