Prevent adding invalid references

[fflorent]

When using PUT or PATCH to update columns through its API, if we add invalid references, like nonexistent rules, we cannot delete the column anymore.

To reproduce the issue, I created a unit test, see below.

To fix that, as suggested by @alexmojaki in this comment, we may add some python code to validate the metadata before applying the changes.

Unit test:

commit 1d9952a142b58aa50d98bc136e65222d0d676ec9 (HEAD -> refs/heads/issue-601-implement-missing-columns-api-methods)
Author: Florent FAYOLLE <florent.fayolle@beta.gouv.fr>
Date:   Tue Aug 8 11:37:27 2023 +0200

    Test failing with rules updated #601

diff --git a/test/server/lib/DocApi.ts b/test/server/lib/DocApi.ts
index 887d226d..db36007d 100644
--- a/test/server/lib/DocApi.ts
+++ b/test/server/lib/DocApi.ts
@@ -1021,6 +1021,35 @@ function testDocApi() {
       assert.equal(fieldsByColId.size, 2, "Expecting to have removed the other columns");
     });

+    it('when called with inconsistent rule, deleting should be allowed', async function () {
+      // given
+      const { url } = await generateDocAndUrl();
+
+      const inconsistentRule: [GristObjCode, number] = [ GristObjCode.List, 173];
+      const submittedColumns: ColumnsPut = {
+        columns: [{ ...COLUMN_TO_ADD, fields: { ...COLUMN_TO_ADD.fields, rules: inconsistentRule }}]
+      };
+
+      const resp = await axios.put(url, submittedColumns, {...chimpy });
+
+      assert.equal(resp.status, 200);
+
+      const columnsWithoutPreviousOne: ColumnsPut = {
+        columns: [ COLUMN_TO_UPDATE ]
+      };
+      const paramsForDeletingTheRest = { replaceall: "1" };
+
+      // when
+      const respDelete = await axios.put(url, columnsWithoutPreviousOne, {
+        ...chimpy,
+        params: paramsForDeletingTheRest
+      });
+
+      // then
+      console.log("respDelete.data = ", respDelete.data);
+      assert.equal(respDelete.status, 200);
+    });
+
     it('should forbid update by viewers', async function () {
       // given
       const { url, docId } = await generateDocAndUrl();

[vviers]

Related : https://community.getgrist.com/t/self-sanitizing-reference-fields/6403/2