Update the API to allow retrieving group members

[umar221b]

Updates the groups index api endpoint to allow retrieving group members, and adds a new show group api endpoint.

Note: Feel free to drop this PR if something else has been worked on.

Summary

Resolves #1955 by adding a new show endpoint for the groups api. It also modifies the index endpoint and adds a new parameter show_members to allow retrieving the members of the groups.

Description

• Modifies the assessment.groups method to allow eagerloading group member's info.
• Adds an optional parameter show_members to the groups index api endpoint.
• Adds a new endpoint show to the groups api. The implementation of this endpoint is based on @damianhxy's code snippet from Slack.

Motivation and Context

Resolves #1955.

How Has This Been Tested?

Tested locally on the latest build.

• For the index endpoint: tested that the show_members parameter is optional. Not providing it will retrieve the groups without their members. Also tested that the group member's info are eagerloaded when the show_members parameter is true.
• For the show endpoint: Tested providing a valid ID to retrieve the group which should work, also tested providing an invalid ID and an ID for a group from another assignment which should not work.

Types of changes

• Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
• New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
• Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing functionality to change)

Checklist:

• I have run rubocop for style check. If you haven't, run overcommit --install && overcommit --sign to use pre-commit hook for linting
• My change requires a change to the documentation, which is located at Autolab Docs
• I have updated the documentation accordingly, included in this PR

Other issues / help required

The member's info in a group will be retrieved as nested resources to make this as RESTful as possible, but let me know if that is not how the apis are designed in the system. This choice also brings up a question of whether an Instructor has the privileges to view all the non secret attributes in the User model.

Example response for the show endpoint:

{
  "id": 1,
  "name": "Testers1",
  "created_at": "2023-08-03T05:13:07.000-04:00",
  "updated_at": "2023-08-03T06:59:58.000-04:00",
  "assessment_user_data": [
    {
      "id": 17,
      "course_user_datum_id": 2,
      ...
      "course_user_datum": {
        "id": 2,
        ...
        "user": {
          "id": 2,
          "email": "[email protected]",
          ...
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

[najclark]

Confirmed the show endpoint and the index endpoint with the optional param with_members works as described in the PR.

I think the for the primary use case of this change, seeing the members of a group, the amount of information being returned is overwhelming and obscures the main useful info.

This is the current structure of the response that includes member info:
{ "id": 1, "name": "Group 1", ..., "assessment_user_data": [ { "id": 1, "course_user_datum_id": 1, "assessment_id": 1, ..., "course_user_datum": { "id": 1, ..., "user": { "id": 1, "email": "[email protected]", "first_name": "foo", "last_name": "pear", "administrator": true, ... } } }

I think an ideal structure of the response would look something like:
{ "id": 1, "name": "Group 1", ..., "members": [ { "id": 1, "email": "[email protected]", "first_name": "foo", "last_name": "pear", "administrator": true, ... }, ... ] }

[umar221b]

Confirmed the show endpoint and the index endpoint with the optional param with_members works as described in the PR.

I think the for the primary use case of this change, seeing the members of a group, the amount of information being returned is overwhelming and obscures the main useful info.

This is the current structure of the response that includes member info: { "id": 1, "name": "Group 1", ..., "assessment_user_data": [ { "id": 1, "course_user_datum_id": 1, "assessment_id": 1, ..., "course_user_datum": { "id": 1, ..., "user": { "id": 1, "email": "[email protected]", "first_name": "foo", "last_name": "pear", "administrator": true, ... } } }

I think an ideal structure of the response would look something like: { "id": 1, "name": "Group 1", ..., "members": [ { "id": 1, "email": "[email protected]", "first_name": "foo", "last_name": "pear", "administrator": true, ... }, ... ] }

I agree that it is very overwhelming, but I tried to keep it RESTful.
I will look into this over the weekend.

[damianhxy]

Hi @umar221b, wondering if you had any time to look into this? Or would you like us to assist with this PR?

[coderabbitai]

Walkthrough

Walkthrough

The recent changes to the API involve enhancing the groups functionality. The index endpoint now includes a show_members parameter to optionally return member details within group data. Additionally, a new show method allows for retrieving a specific group and its members. The Assessment model and the String class have been updated to support these features. The API documentation reflects these enhancements, providing clients with more flexibility and information when working with groups.

Changes

File Path	Change Summary
app/controllers/api/v1/groups_controller.rb	Added support for show_members in index, new show method, and get_group_json private method.
app/models/assessment.rb	Modified groups method to accept show_members parameter.
config/routes.rb	Included :show action for groups resource.
config/initializers/core_ext.rb	Updated to_boolean method for case-insensitive string to boolean conversion.
docs/api-interface.md	Documented new show_members parameter and GET /groups/{id} endpoint.

Assessment against linked issues

Objective	Addressed	Explanation
API groups index endpoint should provide list of students in each group (#1955)	✅	The show_members parameter in the index method and the corresponding documentation update address this requirement.

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[umar221b]

Hi @umar221b, wondering if you had any time to look into this? Or would you like us to assist with this PR?

I have made the changes, let me know if you have any comments. Sorry for being so late.

[damianhxy]

Successfully tested endpoints. LGTM other than a nit

index endpoint (with show_members)

show endpoint

[damianhxy]

LGTM (other than one nit)

Thank you for your contribution!

Requested changes were made

[damianhxy]

As a note, the documentation for index states that it retrieves "a list of assessment_user_datum" objects, when it now returns course_user_datum objects.

But I think it's fine as-is for now

[umar221b]

As a note, the documentation for index states that it retrieves "a list of assessment_user_datum" objects, when it now returns course_user_datum objects.

But I think it's fine as-is for now

No worries, #2045 will make it fine-r : )