Flyspray - The bug killer!

At several places it could be useful to let the user view available tags:

1. When editing a task a toggle popup could show a list of selectable and existing tags.

I found several nice vanilla-js-multiselect-with-autocompletion scripts, but none yet that still works at a basic level when javascript is turned off.

My plan is now:

• Keep the current basic input text field for input tags and show current assigned tags like exampletag1;exampletag2;exampletag3 separated by ‘;’ that is sent to the server when saving the task and server handles evaluation of that string (validation, duplicates, removed, added, creating new tags if allowed for current user)
• A CSS only toggle that shows available tags that can be assigned (works even with js turned off), similiar to other places within Flyspray like advanced search toggle.
• If js turned off, the user must type the tag - not as fancy, but at least works. (I thought also about using a html select with multiple=”multiple” attribute, but was not convinced due styling not possible in modern browsers without js)
• If js is enabled, more fancier stuff is possible:
  • The input text field is hidden by display:none and instead the styled tags are shown.
  • The current added tags also get a little x to remove a tag by clicking it. The content of the hidden input text field is updated to reflect the current editing status. (click eventlistener)
  • A generated text input field for typing with autocompletion list shown of matching availbale tags. An unknown tag is added to the list if user is allowed to create tags. Clicking a item in the autocompletion list adds the tag and resets the autocompletion input text field for the next autocompletion action.
  • The tags within the toggle list with all available tags get also a click event listener, so clicking it adds them to the hidden text input.
  • Not sure yet if an added tag should be removed from the all available tags list or just make an CSS indication that a tag is still added, currently I tend to keep the list untouched, just highlight used tags of the task.

• Optionally make the all available tags sortable by:
  • list_position (default)
  • alphabetic
  • global or project level
  • popularity (count of tasks using a tag (n + unnumbered private)), requires adding a data attribute.
  • group by detected prefix like shape:triangle shape:circle shape:rectangle could show a group of tags as: shape: triangle circle rectangle

1. Make the list of tags searchable for the advanced search. added with FS1.0-rc10 by just using search key words also for searching list_tags table.

I understand this is likely due to some sort of XSS CSRF protection, but the delay doesn’t appear to be long enough to be useful for a lengthy comment to be posted. I’ve now lost two detailed comments in our tracker because the software threw everything out and generated a meaningless error.

Further, attempting to do the normal thing and making the browser resubmit the page results in Flyspray throwing “Error #3” something something repeated action and causing a redirect to the homepage.

Surely there has to be a better way to handle this that doesn’t incur data loss?

Closing a task with selected close reason duplicate should warn when there is no comment or FS # id is given in the close comment text field.

The task is closed as duplicate without any further notice. The information to which task it is duplicate or a description (if the problem is logged/handled outside Flyspray) is lost.

Possible solutions

Frontend hints

Backend deny

So closing a task

FS#1

with

reason: duplicate

and close comment

FS#1

referencing to self should be detected to avoid such user mistakes.

1. Find a good configuration name just reuse relnofollow as used by dokuwiki
2. Find a good translation keyword for that config relnofollow
3. Find a good translation keyword for config description (title attribute)

Goes into prefs table as it is sitewide configuration.

As first implementation a simple checkbox should be ok. Should be on the tab with other spam handling stuff like captcha configuration.

Is enabled by default (1).
Adapt setup xml files, upgrade procedure.

To fix some other open tasks, an update of the CKEditor4 files is probably the best way.

Starting with CKEditor4 ‘Basic’ preset, evaluate every additional Plugin before adding them to the config.

Because the selection of plugins starts with the ‘Basic’ preset, some configs are disabled in the resulting config.sys like the ‘Strike’ button or the Copy/Paste functionality.

I am also evaluating the possibilities to make some of the options configurable within the Flyspray configuration. It is probably required to analyze if a setting applies to only CKEditor syntax or would be also by used for installs using dokuwiki syntax/engine.

I can also imagine enable/disable features based on Flyspray user permissions. (but that requires not only CKEditor config, but also server side changes like HTMLpurifier settings.)

Languages

Theme selection

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Source Editing Area

PHP 7.4 is out now and a few things should be done to make Flyspray work well with it.
Nothing really breaks, but a view deprecation warnings should be fixed.

Flyspray source itself: Just a few new notices, most are yet fixed in the master branch.

Watching the PHP7.4 compatibility of dependencies defined by composer.json:

• ADOdb/ADODb: 5.20.15 should be OK for Flyspray
• swiftmailer/swiftmailer: We still use 5.* branch, so either do quickfix for a notice in a fork or upgrade/rewrite our integration to the 6.* branch.
• ezyang/htmlpurifier: 4.12 OK
• thephpleague/oauth2-client: unknown, we still use 0.13, last real source change was Nov 2018, to upgrade requires rewrite of integration into Flyspray and there is low demand for OAuth2.
• dapphp/securimage: seems to be OK
• jamiebicknell/sparkline: OK, but probably obsolete for us in future due
  • still annoying problems with our github/travis tests (problem of travis, not sparkline itself)
  • better solution (interactive hover infos, scales, screen size adaptive) by Flyspray source planned

For Flyspray installations with many users (several thousands) a pagination of the user list in the admin area is required.

2000 users no problem to display (aside the PHP max_input_vars limit which is only 1000 by default, so maybe not all checked checkboxes are handled.)

More users might send your mysql to long running blocking queries creating temp tables … bad!

(I killed them by watching show processlist; and kill id; on mysql console.)

Hello,
my notification eMails have invalid links.

I use a different port. See below for the partial eMail source text:

DIES IST EINE AUTOMATISCH ERSTELLTE NACHRICHT, BITTE NICHT ANTWORTEN.<br>
… <br>Mehr Informationen k=C3=B6nnen unter=
der folgenden URL abgerufen werden: <br><a href=3D”https://pp.cobru.de“>pp=
.cobru.de</a>:444/bug/index.php?do=3Ddetails&task_id=3D309<br><br>Sie erhal=
ten diese Nachricht, weil Sie in Flyspray Benachrichtigungen aktiviert habe=
…

Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)
MySQL 10.3.22
PHP version: 7.3.14-1~deb10u1
Flyspray 1.0-rc9

Steps done to create the problem:
-Use a different Webserver Port
-Enable eMail notifications
-Create or modify an task

Expected behavior:
-Valid link

Experienced behavior:
-Invalid link

BR
Wörsty

Trying to add a new user having the same email address as an another user in the do=admin&area=newuser section results in

“That username is already taken. You will need to choose another one.”

instead of

“Email address has already been taken”

(I’ve stumbled on this issue because I have an older disabled user with the same email address)

PHP 8.0 is now released (2020-11-26) and Flyspray should be made compatible with it.

• Replace removed and deprecated functions with alternatives in our source code.
• Upgrade used libraries or make used libraries compatible:
  • post github issue or pull requests for ADODB
  • upgrade used dokuwiki or make changes in our integration (probably just review our as official dokuwiki project contains to much stuff we do not need and changed much)
  • review used geshi
  • upgrade our swiftmailer version to PHP8 compatible version
  • upgrade our oauth2-client stuff to PHP8 compatible version

Reopening a task triggers a PHP notice with PHP7.4 under some circumstances.
Reopening a task triggers a PHP warning with PHP8.0 under some circumstances.

Reproduce:

1. Create task
2. Close task directly without setting a completion percentage
3. Reopen the task

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /***/includes/modify.inc.php on line 684
Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /***/includes/modify.inc.php on line 686
Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /***/includes/modify.inc.php on line 686

We must teach browsers not to use some input fields in the admin prefs area to offer to store it in their password manager.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Login with Firefox as admin into Flyspray. (Maybe other browsers behave same)
2. Go to admin prefs area (top right gear icon)
3. Click link somewhere else (so leaving admin prefs page)
4. Firefox browser pops up password manager as it detected some password input fields on admim prefs setting page. But in this case this is not wanted.

Either by using different input field names where the browser does not assume it is a login password field or find input field attribute to tell them.

auto-complete="off"

is not working anymore in browsers for password fields.

webbrowser: Firefox 85.0.2

Popup probably triggered by the password fields for configuring Email and XMPP notification: smtp_pass and jabber_password input fields. Firefox heuristic is too stupid to detect that these are for server configuration, not user login fields!

Neither

autocomplete="new-password"

nor

autocomplete="one-time-code"

attribute helped.

Stubborn Firefox ..

From: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/flyspray/rAnks5y_uLk

19-04-09 // More one year ago.

There are not http → https redirections.

Only one example:
- http://www.flyspray.org/docs/download/ is not redirected to https://www.flyspray.org/docs/download/

Note: It is better to have the main website in https://flyspray.org/.

http://www.flyspray.org/ + https://www.flyspray.org/ + http://www.flyspray.org/ must be redirected to https://flyspray.org/

Everything is currently hard-coded. Create a plugin system that allows a module to be simply "dropped into" a plugins/ directory, enabled in the options, and have the plugin just work.

Possibilities might include alternative methods of notification, perhaps a documentation subsystem, or even simple things like voting for tasks.

The user should NOT have to edit existing Flyspray source code to make a plugin work.

With all informations on flyspray, it's possible to generate a gantt chart.
For this, some php code exists :
- http://www.aditus.nu/jpgraph/
- http://www.graphviz.org/
- http://www.phpclasses.org/browse/package/2737.html

We don't close the tasks until the release is "made", that is we let them under "Requires Testing" with 100% complete. When the release/testing cycle is finished, somebody has to go task by task, and start closing them... it's a PITA ;)
It would be nice to have to option to select all the tasks you want to close, and that the "popup" when you enter the reason/etc, applied to all the tasks I selected...

I recall reading something about this in the past, but haven't found it; and if this is implemented, I haven't seen a way to do it in 099beta1

When we have several projects into flyspray, it's hard to see the project where I am when I add several tasks.
It's necessary to read the text.

To improve this, I think that it's a good idea if it's possible to add a color or an image with the logo project next to project title into web page. It will more simple to know where we are when we use flyspray.

I have been working with Eventum (http://www.mysql.org/downloads/other/eventum/) for quite sometime now and in contrast, I like Flyspray for its simplicity and practicality. But one thing I badly miss (and something that Eventum scores high) is a Workflow Engine. If not a sophisticated W.E., I (as an Admin / Manager) should be able define role-based state transition rules of the tasks reported in a particular project. For example, I should be able to implement the following scenario:

1. For a “Developer”, the subsequent tasks from various states. Likewise for other roles
2. “Developer” should not be able close out the bug reports. He/she can only flag them as implemented. The “Reporter” of the bugs or the “Manager” alone should be able to close out issues
3. ..
4. .. it will go on like that

This feature, in my opinion, is very crucial for corporate organizations to give a serious consideration to Flyspray.

Currently, the Vote functionality provides users a way to say "this issue is important to me". In addition to that functionality, it would be great for users to have a "Verify" ability on open issues; it would provide users a way to say "yes, this happens to me as well".

A "Verified" label would fit nicely right under "Votes", to the right of the label would be "Yes | No", each option being a link. After clicking Yes or No, or if unable to specify (lack of permissions), the text would display "Yes - # | No - # (% verification)" where '%' is the result of ((Yes/(Yes+No))*100).

This feature should not show up on all issues, though. It does not make sense to "verify" a feature request or todo item, for example. When defining task types, the administrator would specify if a type was "Verifiable" by checking a box in a column next to "Show".

If implemented, two great, mini extra features would be:

1. The ability for the administrator to set the number of "Yes" verifications an issue would need before it was elevated to the next priority, severity, or both (specified by the administrator).
2. The ability for the administrator to set the number of "No" verifications an issue would need before it was lowered to the previous priority, severity, or both (specified by the administrator).

Both settings should have an option to be incremental (priority / status increased every x verifications) or not (increases once, no matter how many verifications are received); an "Incremental" checkbox would do nicely. Also, a little "Enabled" checkbox next to both settings would be clearer than having zero act as the disable mechanism.

As with voting, a permission should exist to enable or disable this option for a user group. For larger projects, moderators tasked with verifying bugs could be given the permission whereas smaller projects may leave verifications up to the community.

Lastly, a way to send a notification once the number of "Yes" verifications reached a certain value would also be a great addition.

Currently, only one owner can be applied per category (at least, that's what the tooltip implies). The ability to add more than one user, a user group, or a mix of the two to a category would be ideal.

Often times, more than one programmer will work on and maintain a feature that cannot be divided into subcategories with the various programmers dispersed accordingly. In such cases, setting all such programmers as owners of the category is beneficial in that they will all receive notifications.

Also, having a parent category's owner receive alerts if no owners are specified for a sub-category benefits from this ability. I may have a "User Interface" group that has all of my UI developers in it; assigning the group to the "User Interface" root category means all relevant developers find out about a new issue that was not directed elsewhere.

One potential conflict does arise with another Flyspray feature. If "Auto-assign a task to the category owner" is enabled, care must be taken to assign no users or the first user to the task; personally, I would prefer no one being assigned and seeing the wording changed to "Auto-assign a task to sole category owners". Worst case scenario would be another option asking if no one or the first user would be assigned to a task in that instance; if a group is specified, the first user in the group would be chosen.

Flyspray should be able to render attached patches visually like, for example, Bugzilla: https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/attachment.cgi?id=4807&action=diff

It would be useful to print a list of tasks in a extended version.
e.g. All tasks from a programmer with all the details of it.

I have done a very quick bit of work to bring ldap (through active directory) authentication to flyspray for our implementation in the office. I hope it will be of use to others. There is a readme.txt inside talking through the process and the patch to apply. My plan is to expand on this and make it part of the setup process but this will take a bit longer.

Allow individual users to define custom views of the task tables much like the project manager can for the entire project; only on a user scale.

An option for the user to "use default" project settings should be possible and should be the default.
Only pro users will change it to their needs, not the average reporter.

Interesting would be the possibility to change it dynamic on the tasklist view, not only on the myprofile setting page.

Open Question: Simple or complex implementation?

• Simple: A new varchar field for the user table like it is in the project table and provide the same field chooser like on project setting page.
• Complex: User settings for global tasklist view and each project. Needs extra 'project_user' (or 'user_project' ) join table. Well, maybe over engineered.