FEATURE: Return subcategories on categories endpoint (#14492)

* FEATURE: Return subcategories on categories endpoint

When using the API subcategories will now be returned nested inside of
each category response under the `subcategory_list` param. We already
return all the subcategory ids under the `subcategory_ids` param, but
you then would have to make multiple separate API calls to fetch each of
those subcategories. This way you can get **ALL** of the categories
along with their subcategories in a single API response.

The UI will not be affected by this change because you need to pass in
the `include_subcategories=true` param in order for subcategories to be
returned.

In a follow up PR I'll add the API scoping for fetching categories so
that a readonly API key can be used for the `/categories.json` endpoint. This
endpoint should be used instead of the `/site.json` endpoint for
fetching a sites categories and subcategories.

* Update PR based on feedback

- Have spec check for specific subcategory
- Move comparison check out of loop
- Only populate subcategory list if option present
- Remove empty array initialization
- Update api spec to allow null response

* More PR updates based on feedback

- Use a category serializer for the subcategory_list
- Don't include the subcategory_list param if empty
- For the spec check for the subcategory by id
- Fix spec to account for param not present when empty

app/controllers/categories_controller.rb

@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ class CategoriesController < ApplicationController
     category_options = {
       is_homepage: current_homepage == "categories",
       parent_category_id: params[:parent_category_id],
-      include_topics: include_topics(parent_category)
+      include_topics: include_topics(parent_category),
+      include_subcategories: params[:include_subcategories] == "true"
     }
 
     @category_list = CategoryList.new(guardian, category_options)

app/models/category.rb

@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ class Category < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   # permission is just used by serialization
   # we may consider wrapping this in another spot
-  attr_accessor :displayable_topics, :permission, :subcategory_ids, :notification_level, :has_children
+  attr_accessor :displayable_topics, :permission, :subcategory_ids, :subcategory_list, :notification_level, :has_children
 
   # Allows us to skip creating the category definition topic in tests.
   attr_accessor :skip_category_definition

app/models/category_list.rb

@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ class CategoryList
 
     @categories = @categories.to_a
 
+    include_subcategories = @options[:include_subcategories] == true
+
     notification_levels = CategoryUser.notification_levels_for(@guardian.user)
     default_notification_level = CategoryUser.default_notification_level
 
@@ -111,16 +113,26 @@ class CategoryList
     end
 
     if @options[:parent_category_id].blank?
-      subcategories = {}
+      subcategory_ids = {}
+      subcategory_list = {}
       to_delete = Set.new
       @categories.each do |c|
         if c.parent_category_id.present?
-          subcategories[c.parent_category_id] ||= []
-          subcategories[c.parent_category_id] << c.id
+          subcategory_ids[c.parent_category_id] ||= []
+          subcategory_ids[c.parent_category_id] << c.id
+          if include_subcategories
+            subcategory_list[c.parent_category_id] ||= []
+            subcategory_list[c.parent_category_id] << c
+          end
           to_delete << c
         end
       end
-      @categories.each { |c| c.subcategory_ids = subcategories[c.id] || [] }
+      @categories.each do |c|
+        c.subcategory_ids = subcategory_ids[c.id] || []
+        if include_subcategories
+          c.subcategory_list = subcategory_list[c.id] || []
+        end
+      end
       @categories.delete_if { |c| to_delete.include?(c) }
     end
 

app/serializers/category_detailed_serializer.rb

@@ -14,10 +14,16 @@ class CategoryDetailedSerializer < BasicCategorySerializer
 
   has_many :displayable_topics, serializer: ListableTopicSerializer, embed: :objects, key: :topics
 
+  has_many :subcategory_list, serializer: CategoryDetailedSerializer, embed: :objects, key: :subcategory_list
+
   def include_displayable_topics?
     displayable_topics.present?
   end
 
+  def include_subcategory_list?
+    subcategory_list.present?
+  end
+
   def is_uncategorized
     object.id == SiteSetting.uncategorized_category_id
   end

spec/requests/api/schemas/json/category_list_response.json

@@ -141,6 +141,15 @@
 
                   ]
                 },
+                "subcategory_list": {
+                  "type": [
+                    "array",
+                    "null"
+                  ],
+                  "items": [
+
+                  ]
+                },
                 "uploaded_logo": {
                   "type": [
                     "string",

spec/requests/categories_controller_spec.rb

@@ -68,6 +68,55 @@ describe CategoriesController do
       )
     end
 
+    it 'does not returns subcatgories without permission' do
+      subcategory = Fabricate(:category,  user: admin, parent_category: category)
+      subcategory.set_permissions(admins: :full)
+      subcategory.save!
+
+      sign_in(user)
+
+      get "/categories.json?include_subcategories=true"
+
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+      category_list = response.parsed_body["category_list"]
+
+      subcategories_for_category = category_list["categories"][1]["subcategory_list"]
+      expect(subcategories_for_category).to eq(nil)
+    end
+
+    it 'returns the right subcategory response with permission' do
+      subcategory = Fabricate(:category, user: admin, parent_category: category)
+
+      sign_in(user)
+
+      get "/categories.json?include_subcategories=true"
+
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+      category_list = response.parsed_body["category_list"]
+
+      subcategories_for_category = category_list["categories"][1]["subcategory_list"]
+      expect(subcategories_for_category.count).to eq(1)
+      expect(subcategories_for_category.first["parent_category_id"]).to eq(category.id)
+      expect(subcategories_for_category.first["id"]).to eq(subcategory.id)
+    end
+
+    it 'does not return subcategories without query param' do
+      subcategory = Fabricate(:category, user: admin, parent_category: category)
+
+      sign_in(user)
+
+      get "/categories.json"
+
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+      category_list = response.parsed_body["category_list"]
+
+      subcategories_for_category = category_list["categories"][1]["subcategory_list"]
+      expect(subcategories_for_category).to eq(nil)
+    end
+
     it 'does not show uncategorized unless allow_uncategorized_topics' do
       SiteSetting.desktop_category_page_style = "categories_boxes_with_topics"