Publish and Comment feature for Forum page and served as base feature for future needs

[YunhaoJin02]

Feature Request: Publish and Comment on Questions in Forum Page

Description

We need to enhance our forum page by allowing users to publish and delete their questions, as well as comment on existing questions. This will involve backend implementations using Python, Flask forms for input handling, and database interactions to store user-generated content. This functionality is crucial for user engagement and for future features like viewing user profiles.

Detailed Features

Feature 1: Publish and Delete Questions

• Publish Questions:

  • Users should be able to publish questions via a form on the forum page.
  • Form.py should be used for creating the form with fields for the question title and details.
  • Upon submission, questions should be stored in the database with references to the user who posted them.

• Delete Questions:

  • Users should have the option to delete their own questions.
  • A delete action should remove the question from the database and update the forum page dynamically.

Feature 2: Comment on Questions

• Comment System:
  • Users should be able to post comments on questions.
  • Each question should display its associated comments below it.
  • Comments should also be stored in the database with user references for future profile integration.

Technical Requirements

1. Form Handling:

   • Use Flask-WTF for form creation and handling in form.py.
   • Implement CSRF protection and validate user input to prevent security vulnerabilities.

2. Backend Python Files:

   • Create dedicated Python modules (question_manager.py, comment_manager.py) to handle business logic related to questions and comments.
   • Ensure separation of concerns by maintaining clear boundaries between database interactions, business logic, and presentation.

3. Database Design:

   • Design database schemas to include tables for users, questions, and comments.
   • Ensure relationships are properly defined, e.g., users to questions, questions to comments.

4. AJAX for Dynamic Updates:

   • Use AJAX calls for adding, deleting, and displaying questions and comments to ensure the page does not require reloading.

Expected Outcomes

• User Interaction:
  • Enable users to actively participate in the forum by asking questions and engaging in discussions through comments.
• Data Integrity:
  • Securely and efficiently manage data transactions to the database, ensuring data integrity and responsiveness.
• Preparation for Future Features:
  • By associating questions and comments with user profiles in the database, lay the groundwork for future features such as user profile viewing which will display user-specific activities and contributions.

Implementation Notes

• Security Considerations:
  • Sanitize all user inputs to prevent SQL injection and XSS attacks.
  • Ensure all forms are using HTTP POST method to prevent CSRF attacks.
• Performance Considerations:
  • Optimize database queries to handle potentially large volumes of data as the forum grows.
  • Consider caching strategies for frequently accessed data.

Additional Resources

• Mockups of the forum page to guide UI development.
• Documentation links for Flask-WTF and AJAX implementation best practices.

Conclusion

Implementing these features will significantly enhance the user experience on the forum page by enabling dynamic interactions and ensuring the foundation is built for advanced features like user profiles. Proper execution will require careful attention to both the user interface and backend architecture.