Expensify: Concierge Chat LHN Position Bug

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Expensify: Concierge Chat LHN Position Bug

Hey guys! We've got a pesky bug report here about the Expensify app, specifically regarding the Concierge chat and its position in the Left Hand Navigation (LHN). Let's dive into the details and see what's going on.

Issue Summary

It seems like the Concierge chat isn't behaving as expected when tasks are marked as complete or incomplete. Ideally, the Concierge chat should move to the top of the LHN when a task is marked incomplete, signaling its active status. Conversely, it should move to the bottom when all tasks are completed, indicating a less urgent state. However, the actual result is a bit wonky, with the position changing seemingly after entering any task and then returning to the main chat.

This can be quite frustrating for users who rely on the LHN to quickly navigate their chats and tasks. An inconsistent Concierge position can lead to missed updates and a less-than-ideal user experience. So, let's break down the specifics, the steps to reproduce this issue, and the expected versus actual behavior.

Key details of the Bug Report

  • Version Number: 9.2.44-4
  • Reproducible in staging?: Yes
  • Reproducible in production?: Yes
  • Issue reported by: Applause - Internal Team

Steps to Reproduce

To get this bug to show its face, follow these steps carefully:

  1. Precondition: Make sure you have an account with several chats in the LHN. You'll need at least one chat with another user (start a chat and send a message) and a Concierge chat with all tasks completed.
  2. Step 1: Open the Concierge chat.
  3. Step 2: Mark any task as incomplete. This should ideally move the Concierge chat to the top of the LHN.
  4. Step 3: Open any task within the Concierge chat.
  5. Step 4: Return to the Concierge chat.
  6. Step 5: Mark the incomplete task as complete. This should ideally move the Concierge chat to the bottom of the LHN.

Expected vs. Actual Result

  • Expected Result: The Concierge position in the LHN should move to the top after a task is marked incomplete, signaling that there's something to address. Once all tasks are complete, it should move to the bottom, indicating a clean slate.
  • Actual Result: The Concierge position changes after entering any task and returning to the main chat, which is not the intended behavior. This can make it difficult to keep track of the Concierge chat's status and any pending tasks.

Impact and Workaround

The incorrect LHN position can definitely throw a wrench in a user's workflow. It makes it harder to prioritize and manage tasks effectively. As of now, there's no known workaround, which means users are stuck with this inconsistent behavior until a fix is implemented.

Platform Reproducibility

This bug isn't picky – it's been reproduced on a variety of platforms, including:

  • Windows: Chrome
  • MacOS: Chrome / Safari

It's essential to note that this issue has been tested and confirmed on these platforms, giving developers a clear starting point for debugging and resolution. Let's make sure everyone has a smooth experience, no matter their device!

Technical Analysis

Okay, folks, let's put on our detective hats and dive a bit deeper into why this might be happening. When we talk about list positions in applications, especially something like a chat interface, there's usually some behind-the-scenes logic that dictates the order. In this case, it sounds like the logic that's supposed to be moving the Concierge chat around isn't quite firing correctly.

Potential Culprits

  1. State Management: Think of state management as the app's memory. It keeps track of things like whether a task is complete or incomplete. If the state isn't being updated correctly when a task's status changes, or if the LHN isn't reacting to those state changes, you've got a recipe for positional chaos.
  2. Event Handling: Imagine events as triggers. When you mark a task as incomplete, that's an event. The app should hear that event and shuffle the LHN accordingly. If the event handling is wonky – maybe it's not firing, or it's firing at the wrong time – the Concierge chat will stay put.
  3. Rendering Logic: This is all about how the app draws things on the screen. If the rendering logic isn't correctly interpreting the state or the events, it might not move the Concierge chat even when it's supposed to.
  4. Asynchronous Issues: Sometimes, things happen in a sequence, but not necessarily in the order you expect. If the app is trying to update the LHN before it's fully processed the task status change, you could end up with the wrong position.

Debugging Strategy

So, how do we catch this bug in the act? Here’s a game plan:

  • Logging: Sprinkle some console.log statements (or their equivalent in the app's codebase) in the functions that handle task status changes and LHN updates. This lets you see exactly what's happening, and when.
  • State Inspection: Use debugging tools to peek under the hood and see what the app's state looks like at different points in the process. Are the task statuses correct? Is the LHN's order being updated?
  • Step-by-Step Debugging: Set breakpoints in the code and walk through it line by line. This can help you pinpoint exactly where things go off the rails.
  • Reproducible Steps: The detailed steps to reproduce the bug are golden. They give you a reliable way to trigger the issue and test your fixes.

Why This Matters

Bugs like this might seem minor, but they can have a big impact on user experience. A chat list that doesn't behave predictably can be confusing and frustrating. Fixing this kind of issue is about making the app feel polished and professional.

Screenshots/Videos

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/48c0d49b-f6cb-40fc-8e97-7d2b998cdb3e

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? The provided screenshot/video evidence will definitely help the developers get a clearer picture of the issue.

Contributing and Getting Involved

Hey, if you're interested in contributing to Expensify and helping squash bugs like this, there are plenty of ways to get involved! Check out the contributing guidelines for onboarding. And if you want to chat with the team, email contributors@expensify.com to request to join their Slack channel.

Also, don't forget to view all open jobs on GitHub – you might just find your next adventure!

Conclusion

So, there you have it – the Concierge chat LHN position bug in all its glory. It's a quirky issue, but with a bit of debugging and some collaborative effort, it's definitely fixable. Let's keep an eye on this and make sure the Expensify app is as smooth and user-friendly as possible. Happy coding, everyone!