Feature Flaw: Lack email validation for valid email

[SeeYangZhi]

Reproduce: run add n/Betsy Crowe t/friend e/betsycrowe@example c/CS1231S p/1234567 t/struggling

Expected: Warning/Alert users of incorrect email

Actual:

[soc-pe-bot]

Team's Response

Hi, thanks for your feedback.

However, the email you specified is actually a valid email according to the standard for email address format. The domain part of an email address can also be a local domain name with no TLD.

Therefore, we are rejecting this bug as it is invalid.

Reference: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5322#section-3.4.1

Items for the Tester to Verify

:question: Issue response

Team chose [response.Rejected]

• [x] I disagree

Reason for disagreement: *response.Rejected: What tester treated as a bug is in fact the expected and correct behavior (from the user's point of view).

1. Correct Behavior from the User's Perspective:

   • The team implied that the reported behavior is "correct according to standards" since local domains without TLDs are valid by the standard.
   • However, TAHub is tailored for Teaching Assistants (TAs) to manage student-related information – "TAHub (TAHub) is a desktop app for Teaching Assistants (TAs) to efficiently manage student-related information". It is reasonable to expect that email validation adheres to practical use cases—student email addresses should be fully qualified and follow institutional standards (e.g., u.nus.edu with a TLD).
   • Accepting such incomplete emails might lead to operational issues in real-world scenarios, such as failed communications.

2. Feature Flaw Definition:

   • The issue aligns with the definition of a feature flaw:
     • The current behavior, while technically correct, does not solve the stated problem of the intended user effectively. Teaching Assistants need robust validation to avoid mistakes in student data.
     • The design of the email validation feature should consider practicality and end-user expectations. A fully qualified domain name (with TLD) is the norm for students' email addresses.

3. TAHub's Target Audience:

   • As per the User Guide, TAHub is optimized for Teaching Assistants who manage critical student information.
   • Accepting incomplete or unconventional email formats goes against the primary objective of providing reliable data management for TAs.

Request for Change:

The bug should be classified as a valid feature flaw since the current behavior does not align with the practical needs of TAHub's user base. The email validation should ensure that only fully qualified domains (with TLDs) are accepted to enhance data integrity and user trust. Furthermore, there is no planned enhancement for this stated issue.

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