FEATURE: Create a link to start a new chat (#25722)

This feature adds the functionality to start a new chat directly from the URL using query params.

The format is: /chat/new-message?recipients=buford,jona

The initial version of this feature allows for the following:

- Open an existing direct message channel with a single user
- Create a new direct message channel with a single user (and auto redirect)
- Create or open a channel with multiple users (and auto redirect)
- Redirects to chat home if the recipients param is missing

plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/chat-route-map.js

@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ export default function () {
     this.route("channels");
     this.route("threads");
 
+    this.route("new-message");
+
     this.route(
       "channel.info",
       { path: "/c/:channelTitle/:channelId/info" },

plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/chat-new-message.js

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import Controller from "@ember/controller";
+
+export default class ChatNewMessageController extends Controller {
+  queryParams = ["recipients"];
+}

plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/chat-new-message.js

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { inject as service } from "@ember/service";
+import DiscourseRoute from "discourse/routes/discourse";
+
+export default class ChatNewMessageRoute extends DiscourseRoute {
+  @service chat;
+  @service router;
+
+  beforeModel(transition) {
+    const recipients = this.paramsFor(this.routeName).recipients?.split(",");
+
+    if (!recipients) {
+      transition.abort();
+      return this.router.transitionTo("chat");
+    }
+
+    this.chat.upsertDmChannel({ usernames: recipients }).then((channel) => {
+      this.router.transitionTo("chat.channel", channel.title, channel.id);
+    });
+  }
+}

plugins/chat/config/routes.rb

@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ Chat::Engine.routes.draw do
 
   # chat_controller routes
   get "/" => "chat#respond"
+  get "/new-message" => "chat#respond"
   get "/direct-messages" => "chat#respond"
   get "/channels" => "chat#respond"
   get "/threads" => "chat#respond"

plugins/chat/spec/system/chat_new_message_spec.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+RSpec.describe "Chat New Message from params", type: :system do
+  fab!(:current_user) { Fabricate(:user) }
+  fab!(:user_1) { Fabricate(:user) }
+  fab!(:user_2) { Fabricate(:user) }
+  fab!(:public_channel) { Fabricate(:chat_channel) }
+  fab!(:user_1_channel) { Fabricate(:direct_message_channel, users: [current_user, user_1]) }
+  let(:chat_page) { PageObjects::Pages::Chat.new }
+
+  before do
+    chat_system_bootstrap
+    public_channel.add(current_user)
+    sign_in(current_user)
+  end
+
+  context "with a single user" do
+    it "redirects to existing chat channel" do
+      chat_page.visit_new_message(user_1)
+
+      expect(page).to have_current_path("/chat/c/#{user_1.username}/#{user_1_channel.id}")
+    end
+
+    it "creates a dm channel and redirects if none exists" do
+      chat_page.visit_new_message(user_2)
+
+      expect(page).to have_current_path("/chat/c/#{user_2.username}/#{Chat::Channel.last.id}")
+    end
+
+    it "redirects to chat channel if recipients param is missing" do
+      visit("/chat/new-message")
+
+      # chat service selects public channel from getIdealFirstChannelId
+      expect(page).to have_current_path("/chat/c/#{public_channel.slug}/#{public_channel.id}")
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "with multiple users" do
+    it "creates a dm channel with multiple users" do
+      chat_page.visit_new_message([user_1, user_2])
+
+      expect(page).to have_current_path(
+        "/chat/c/#{user_1.username}-#{user_2.username}/#{Chat::Channel.last.id}",
+      )
+    end
+  end
+end

plugins/chat/spec/system/page_objects/chat/chat.rb

@@ -91,6 +91,16 @@ module PageObjects
         PageObjects::Pages::ChatBrowse.new.has_finished_loading?
       end
 
+      def visit_new_message(recipients)
+        if recipients.is_a?(Array)
+          recipients = recipients.map(&:username).join(",")
+        elsif recipients.respond_to?(:username)
+          recipients = recipients.username
+        end
+
+        visit("/chat/new-message?recipients=#{recipients}")
+      end
+
       def has_finished_loading?
         has_no_css?(".chat-channel--not-loaded-once")
         has_no_css?(".chat-skeleton")