DEV: Prioritize unread notifications in the experimental user menu (#18216)

Right now the experimental user menu sorts notifications the same way that the old menu does: unread high-priority notifications are shown first in reverse-chronological order followed by everything else also in reverse-chronological order. However, since the experimental user menu has dedicated tabs for some notification types and each tab displays a badge with the count of unread notifications in the tab, we feel like it makes sense to change how notifications are sorted in the experimental user menu to this:

1. unread high-priority notifications
2. unread regular notifications
3. all read notifications (both high-priority and regular)
4. within each group, notifications are sorted in reverse-chronological order (i.e. newest is shown first).

This new sorting logic applies to all tabs in the experimental user menu, however it doesn't change anything in the old menu. With this change, if a tab in the experimental user menu shows an unread notification badge for a really old notification, it will be surfaced to the top and prevents confusing scenarios where a user sees an unread notification badge on a tab, but the tab doesn't show the unread notification because it's too old to make it to the list.

Internal topic: t72199.

app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb

@@ -30,18 +30,17 @@ class NotificationsController < ApplicationController
       limit = (params[:limit] || 15).to_i
       limit = 50 if limit > 50
 
-      notifications = Notification.recent_report(current_user, limit, notification_types)
-      changed = false
-
-      if notifications.present? && !(params.has_key?(:silent) || @readonly_mode)
-        # ordering can be off due to PMs
-        max_id = notifications.map(&:id).max
-        changed = current_user.saw_notification_id(max_id)
+      if SiteSetting.enable_experimental_sidebar_hamburger
+        notifications = Notification.prioritized_list(current_user, count: limit, types: notification_types)
+      else
+        notifications = Notification.recent_report(current_user, limit, notification_types)
       end
 
-      if changed
-        current_user.reload
-        current_user.publish_notifications_state
+      if notifications.present? && !(params.has_key?(:silent) || @readonly_mode)
+        if changed = current_user.bump_last_seen_notification!
+          current_user.reload
+          current_user.publish_notifications_state
+        end
       end
 
       if !params.has_key?(:silent) && params[:bump_last_seen_reviewable] && !@readonly_mode
@@ -103,7 +102,7 @@ class NotificationsController < ApplicationController
       end
 
       Notification.read_types(current_user, types)
-      current_user.saw_notification_id(Notification.recent_report(current_user, 1).max.try(:id))
+      current_user.bump_last_seen_notification!
     end
 
     current_user.reload

app/models/notification.rb

@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ class Notification < ActiveRecord::Base
   scope :unread_type, ->(user, type, limit = 20) do
     where(user_id: user.id, read: false, notification_type: type).visible.includes(:topic).limit(limit)
   end
+  scope :prioritized, ->(limit = nil) do
+    order("notifications.high_priority AND NOT notifications.read DESC")
+      .order("NOT notifications.read DESC")
+      .order("notifications.created_at DESC")
+      .limit(limit || 30)
+  end
 
   attr_accessor :skip_send_email
 
@@ -214,6 +220,30 @@ class Notification < ActiveRecord::Base
     Post.find_by(topic_id: topic_id, post_number: post_number)
   end
 
+  def self.prioritized_list(user, count: 30, types: [])
+    return [] if !user&.user_option
+
+    notifications = user.notifications
+      .includes(:topic)
+      .visible
+      .prioritized(count)
+
+    if types.present?
+      notifications = notifications.where(notification_type: types)
+    elsif user.user_option.like_notification_frequency == UserOption.like_notification_frequency_type[:never]
+      [
+        Notification.types[:liked],
+        Notification.types[:liked_consolidated]
+      ].each do |notification_type|
+        notifications = notifications.where(
+          'notification_type <> ?', notification_type
+        )
+      end
+    end
+    notifications.to_a
+  end
+
+  # TODO(osama): deprecate this method when redesigned_user_menu_enabled is removed
   def self.recent_report(user, count = nil, types = [])
     return unless user && user.user_option
 

app/models/user.rb

@@ -642,6 +642,9 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def saw_notification_id(notification_id)
+    Discourse.deprecate(<<~TEXT, since: "2.9", drop_from: "3.0")
+      User#saw_notification_id is deprecated. Please use User#bump_last_seen_notification! instead.
+    TEXT
     if seen_notification_id.to_i < notification_id.to_i
       update_columns(seen_notification_id: notification_id.to_i)
       true
@@ -650,6 +653,19 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
   end
 
+  def bump_last_seen_notification!
+    query = self.notifications.visible
+    if seen_notification_id
+      query = query.where("notifications.id > ?", seen_notification_id)
+    end
+    if max_notification_id = query.maximum(:id)
+      update!(seen_notification_id: max_notification_id)
+      true
+    else
+      false
+    end
+  end
+
   def bump_last_seen_reviewable!
     query = Reviewable.unseen_list_for(self, preload: false)
 

spec/models/notification_spec.rb

@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ RSpec.describe Notification do
                                    data: '{}',
                                    notification_type: Notification.types[:mentioned])
 
-      user.saw_notification_id(other.id)
+      user.bump_last_seen_notification!
       user.reload
 
       expect(user.unread_notifications).to eq(0)
@@ -366,8 +366,123 @@ end
 
 # pulling this out cause I don't want an observer
 RSpec.describe Notification do
+  fab!(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
+
+  describe '.prioritized_list' do
+    def create(**opts)
+      opts[:user] = user if !opts[:user]
+      Fabricate(:notification, user: user, **opts)
+    end
+
+    fab!(:unread_high_priority_1) { create(high_priority: true, read: false, created_at: 8.minutes.ago) }
+    fab!(:read_high_priority_1) { create(high_priority: true, read: true, created_at: 7.minutes.ago) }
+    fab!(:unread_regular_1) { create(high_priority: false, read: false, created_at: 6.minutes.ago) }
+    fab!(:read_regular_1) { create(high_priority: false, read: true, created_at: 5.minutes.ago) }
+
+    fab!(:unread_high_priority_2) { create(high_priority: true, read: false, created_at: 1.minutes.ago) }
+    fab!(:read_high_priority_2) { create(high_priority: true, read: true, created_at: 2.minutes.ago) }
+    fab!(:unread_regular_2) { create(high_priority: false, read: false, created_at: 3.minutes.ago) }
+    fab!(:read_regular_2) { create(high_priority: false, read: true, created_at: 4.minutes.ago) }
+
+    it "puts unread high_priority on top followed by unread normal notifications and then everything else in reverse chronological order" do
+      expect(Notification.prioritized_list(user).map(&:id)).to eq([
+        unread_high_priority_2,
+        unread_high_priority_1,
+        unread_regular_2,
+        unread_regular_1,
+        read_high_priority_2,
+        read_regular_2,
+        read_regular_1,
+        read_high_priority_1,
+      ].map(&:id))
+    end
+
+    it "doesn't include notifications from other users" do
+      another_user_notification = create(high_priority: true, read: false, user: Fabricate(:user))
+      expect(Notification.prioritized_list(user).map(&:id)).to contain_exactly(*[
+        unread_high_priority_2,
+        unread_high_priority_1,
+        unread_regular_2,
+        unread_regular_1,
+        read_high_priority_2,
+        read_regular_2,
+        read_regular_1,
+        read_high_priority_1,
+      ].map(&:id))
+      expect(
+        Notification.prioritized_list(another_user_notification.user).map(&:id)
+      ).to contain_exactly(another_user_notification.id)
+    end
+
+    it "doesn't include notifications from deleted topics" do
+      unread_high_priority_1.topic.trash!
+      unread_regular_2.topic.trash!
+      read_regular_1.topic.trash!
+      expect(Notification.prioritized_list(user).map(&:id)).to contain_exactly(*[
+        unread_high_priority_2,
+        unread_regular_1,
+        read_high_priority_2,
+        read_regular_2,
+        read_high_priority_1,
+      ].map(&:id))
+    end
+
+    it "doesn't include like notifications if the user doesn't want like notifications" do
+      user.user_option.update!(
+        like_notification_frequency:
+        UserOption.like_notification_frequency_type[:never]
+      )
+      unread_regular_1.update!(notification_type: Notification.types[:liked])
+      read_regular_2.update!(notification_type: Notification.types[:liked_consolidated])
+      expect(Notification.prioritized_list(user).map(&:id)).to eq([
+        unread_high_priority_2,
+        unread_high_priority_1,
+        unread_regular_2,
+        read_high_priority_2,
+        read_regular_1,
+        read_high_priority_1,
+      ].map(&:id))
+    end
+
+    it "respects the count param" do
+      expect(Notification.prioritized_list(user, count: 1).map(&:id)).to eq([
+        unread_high_priority_2,
+      ].map(&:id))
+      expect(Notification.prioritized_list(user, count: 3).map(&:id)).to eq([
+        unread_high_priority_2,
+        unread_high_priority_1,
+        unread_regular_2,
+      ].map(&:id))
+    end
+
+    it "can filter the list by specific types" do
+      unread_regular_1.update!(notification_type: Notification.types[:liked])
+      read_regular_2.update!(notification_type: Notification.types[:liked_consolidated])
+      expect(Notification.prioritized_list(
+        user,
+        types: [Notification.types[:liked], Notification.types[:liked_consolidated]]
+      ).map(&:id)).to eq([unread_regular_1, read_regular_2].map(&:id))
+    end
+
+    it "includes like notifications when filtering by like types even if the user doesn't want like notifications" do
+      user.user_option.update!(
+        like_notification_frequency:
+        UserOption.like_notification_frequency_type[:never]
+      )
+      unread_regular_1.update!(notification_type: Notification.types[:liked])
+      read_regular_2.update!(notification_type: Notification.types[:liked_consolidated])
+      expect(Notification.prioritized_list(
+        user,
+        types: [Notification.types[:liked], Notification.types[:liked_consolidated]]
+      ).map(&:id)).to eq([unread_regular_1, read_regular_2].map(&:id))
+      expect(Notification.prioritized_list(
+        user,
+        types: [Notification.types[:liked]]
+      ).map(&:id)).to contain_exactly(unread_regular_1.id)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '#recent_report' do
-    fab!(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
     let(:post) { Fabricate(:post) }
 
     def fab(type, read)

spec/models/user_spec.rb

@@ -2955,4 +2955,22 @@ RSpec.describe User do
       )
     end
   end
+
+  describe "#bump_last_seen_notification!" do
+    it "doesn't error if there are no notifications" do
+      Notification.destroy_all
+      expect(user.bump_last_seen_notification!).to eq(false)
+      expect(user.reload.seen_notification_id).to eq(0)
+    end
+
+    it "updates seen_notification_id to the last notification that the user can see" do
+      last_notification = Fabricate(:notification, user: user)
+      deleted_notification = Fabricate(:notification, user: user)
+      deleted_notification.topic.trash!
+      someone_else_notification = Fabricate(:notification, user: Fabricate(:user))
+
+      expect(user.bump_last_seen_notification!).to eq(true)
+      expect(user.reload.seen_notification_id).to eq(last_notification.id)
+    end
+  end
 end

spec/requests/notifications_controller_spec.rb

@@ -165,6 +165,71 @@ RSpec.describe NotificationsController do
           expect(JSON.parse(response.body)['notifications'][0]['read']).to eq(false)
         end
 
+        context "with the enable_experimental_sidebar_hamburger setting" do
+          fab!(:unread_high_priority) do
+            Fabricate(
+              :notification,
+              user: user,
+              high_priority: true,
+              read: false,
+              created_at: 10.minutes.ago
+            )
+          end
+          fab!(:read_high_priority) do
+            Fabricate(
+              :notification,
+              user: user,
+              high_priority: true,
+              read: true,
+              created_at: 8.minutes.ago
+            )
+          end
+          fab!(:unread_regular) do
+            Fabricate(
+              :notification,
+              user: user,
+              high_priority: false,
+              read: false,
+              created_at: 6.minutes.ago
+            )
+          end
+          fab!(:read_regular) do
+            Fabricate(
+              :notification,
+              user: user,
+              high_priority: false,
+              read: true,
+              created_at: 4.minutes.ago
+            )
+          end
+
+          it "gets notifications list with unread ones at the top when the setting is enabled" do
+            SiteSetting.enable_experimental_sidebar_hamburger = true
+            get "/notifications.json", params: { recent: true }
+            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+            expect(response.parsed_body["notifications"].map { |n| n["id"] }).to eq([
+              unread_high_priority.id,
+              notification.id,
+              unread_regular.id,
+              read_regular.id,
+              read_high_priority.id
+            ])
+          end
+
+          it "gets notifications list with unread high priority notifications at the top when the setting is disabled" do
+            SiteSetting.enable_experimental_sidebar_hamburger = false
+            get "/notifications.json", params: { recent: true }
+            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+            expect(response.parsed_body["notifications"].map { |n| n["id"] }).to eq([
+              unread_high_priority.id,
+              notification.id,
+              read_regular.id,
+              unread_regular.id,
+              read_high_priority.id
+            ])
+          end
+        end
+
         context "when filter_by_types param is present" do
           fab!(:liked1) do
             Fabricate(