Make producers more in control of Append/Replace behaviour, field by field

[alexgarel]

Context

On pro platform, as we import data there are two types of behaviour:

• simple values are either replaced, let as is (if cell empty), or removed (if I put a "-" in csv)
• tag values (see list below), instead, are kept, with values from csv added to current values in the platform

This behaviour is true, either when I import data with a CSV, or when the data is published to pro platform.

Story

As a producer,

1. when I import products from a CSV on the producer platform I want to be able to specify that for a certain field, my list of value is final (and not an addition to existing values)
2. when my data is published on the public platform, I want the same behavior

PS: making a single ticket as problems are related, might be splet though

Tags values:

relevant code:

• %tags_fields in Tags.pm
• taxonomized fields, aka @taxonomy_fields in Config_off.pm

Fields:

• additives
• additives_classes
• allergens
• amino_acids
• brands
• categories
• categories_properties
• checkers
• codes
• correctors
• countries
• data_quality
• data_quality_bugs
• data_quality_errors
• data_quality_errors_producers
• data_quality_info
• data_quality_warnings
• data_quality_warnings_producers
• data_sources
• debug
• ecoscore
• editors
• emb_codes
• environment_impact_level
• food_groups
• improvements
• informers
• ingredients
• ingredients_analysis
• ingredients_processing
• labels
• languages
• manufacturing_places
• minerals
• misc
• nova_groups
• nucleotides
• nutrient_levels
• nutrients
• origins
• other_nutritional_substances
• owners
• packaging
• packaging_materials
• packaging_recycling
• packaging_shapes
• periods_after_opening
• photographers
• purchase_places
• states
• stores
• teams
• traces
• vitamins

Also note that "brands" as some special handlings.

[alexgarel]

Technically,

• story 1 would be easy to implement using a special value to say the list is a final list (for example "FINAL") or maybe easier for users, in the title (categories_final). We just have to handle that in Import.pm around line 1322

• story 2 (publication) has two alternatives

  • the simplest is to define a fix sets of fields that would be considered final as we publish (but of course, only if there is a value)
  • the more complex one would be to try to let producer handle it (are they able to ?)

[stephanegigandet]

Many of the tags fields are not direct input fields, only a few can be written directly (allergens, categories, countries, labels etc.).

It's probably worth looking at each of those fields to see which behaviour we want, and which behaviour producers may want.

e.g. for allergens and traces, if the producer supplies a non empty value, we probably could remove pre-existing values, both on the producers platform and the public platform.

[manon-corneille]

This would be very helpful for a lot of producers, especially for large ones. In my opinion, within the Pro platform issues, it is one of the most needed. Could it be prioritised over the next few weeks (/months?) please? cc @alexgarel @stephanegigandet

[manon-corneille]

One common case is that producers want to clean the existing data in fields like the ingredient list.

Food for thought ... Here is an example of how Brevo deals with a similar situation.