Bloom Housing: Fixing Admin Support Role Feature Flag

Introduction

In the ever-evolving world of software development, feature flags are essential for managing and controlling the rollout of new features. They allow developers to enable or disable certain functionalities without deploying new code, providing flexibility and reducing risk. In the Bloom Housing project, a new feature flag was introduced to manage the "Admin (support)" role. However, an issue has been identified where the logic to properly hide or show this role based on the feature flag's status was not correctly implemented. This article delves into the details of this bug, how to reproduce it, and the necessary steps to resolve it, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Understanding the Issue

The core of the problem lies in the discrepancy between the intended behavior of the enableSupportAdmin feature flag and its actual implementation. The purpose of this feature flag is to control the visibility of the "Admin (support)" role in the user creation form on the partner site. When the feature flag is disabled for a specific jurisdiction, the "Admin (support)" role should not be visible as an option when adding a new user. Conversely, when the feature flag is enabled, the role should be available for selection. Currently, the logic to enforce this behavior is missing, leading to the "Admin (support)" role being visible regardless of the feature flag's status. This can lead to confusion and potential misuse of roles, undermining the intended access control mechanisms.

Reproducing the Bug

To better understand and address this issue, it is important to reproduce it consistently. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to reproduce the bug:

1. Ensure the enableSupportAdmin feature flag is disabled: Verify that the enableSupportAdmin feature flag is turned off for all jurisdictions within the Bloom Housing application. This is the baseline condition for observing the bug.
2. Navigate to the user creation form: Access the partner site and navigate to the section where new users can be added. This is typically found in the administrative or user management area.
3. Observe the available roles: Examine the list of available roles in the user creation form. The bug is present if the "Admin (support)" role is visible as an option, even though the enableSupportAdmin feature flag is disabled.

By following these steps, developers and testers can reliably reproduce the bug and confirm that the fix is effective once implemented. This ensures that the feature flag behaves as expected, providing the intended control over the visibility of the "Admin (support)" role.

Impact and Context

The presence of this bug can have several implications for the Bloom Housing project. First, it can lead to confusion among administrators who might inadvertently assign the "Admin (support)" role to users when it is not intended. This can result in unintended access and potential security risks. Second, it undermines the purpose of using feature flags for controlled rollouts, as the visibility of the role is not tied to the flag's status. This can complicate the process of testing and deploying new features, as the behavior of the application becomes less predictable. The bug is observed on the desktop version of the application, specifically on the Chrome browser. This information helps narrow down the scope of the issue and allows developers to focus on the relevant parts of the codebase. The issue is located in the partner site user creation form, which is a critical component of the application's user management system. Addressing this bug is essential to ensure the integrity and security of the Bloom Housing project.

Proposed Solution

To resolve this issue, the following steps need to be taken:

1. Identify the code responsible for rendering the user creation form: Locate the code that generates the user creation form on the partner site. This code will likely be in a component or module responsible for user management.
2. Implement the feature flag logic: Add a conditional statement that checks the status of the enableSupportAdmin feature flag. If the flag is enabled, the "Admin (support)" role should be included in the list of available roles. If the flag is disabled, the role should be excluded.
3. Test the solution: Thoroughly test the solution to ensure that the "Admin (support)" role is only visible when the enableSupportAdmin feature flag is enabled. This should be tested across different browsers and devices to ensure compatibility.
4. Deploy the fix: Once the solution has been tested and verified, deploy the fix to the production environment. Monitor the application to ensure that the fix is working as expected and that no new issues have been introduced.

By following these steps, the bug can be effectively resolved, ensuring that the enableSupportAdmin feature flag behaves as intended.

Detailed Implementation Steps

To provide a more comprehensive understanding, let's break down the implementation steps in detail:

1. Code Identification: The first step involves identifying the specific code block responsible for rendering the user creation form. This typically resides within the partner site's codebase, often in a component dedicated to user management or administrative tasks. The relevant file might be named UserForm.js, CreateUser.jsx, or something similar, depending on the project's naming conventions. Use your IDE's search functionality to look for keywords like "Admin (support)" or "role options" to pinpoint the exact location.
2. Conditional Logic Implementation: Once the code is located, the next step is to implement the conditional logic that checks the status of the enableSupportAdmin feature flag. This can be achieved using a simple if statement or a more advanced conditional rendering technique, depending on the framework used (e.g., React, Angular, Vue.js). Here’s an example using React:

import { useFeatureFlag } from './featureFlagHook';

function UserForm() {
 const isSupportAdminEnabled = useFeatureFlag('enableSupportAdmin');

 const roleOptions = [
 { value: 'admin', label: 'Admin' },
 { value: 'user', label: 'User' },
 // Add the Admin (support) role conditionally
 ...(isSupportAdminEnabled ? [{ value: 'supportAdmin', label: 'Admin (support)' }] : []),
 ];

 return (
 // Form elements using roleOptions
 );
}

In this example, useFeatureFlag is a custom hook that retrieves the status of the enableSupportAdmin feature flag. The spread operator (...) is used to conditionally include the "Admin (support)" role in the roleOptions array. If the feature flag is enabled, the role is added; otherwise, it is excluded. 3. Testing the Solution: After implementing the conditional logic, thorough testing is essential to ensure that the fix works as expected. This involves testing the following scenarios:

*   **Feature flag disabled:** Verify that the "Admin (support)" role is not visible in the user creation form when the `enableSupportAdmin` feature flag is disabled.
*   **Feature flag enabled:** Verify that the "Admin (support)" role is visible in the user creation form when the `enableSupportAdmin` feature flag is enabled.
*   **Different browsers and devices:** Test the solution across different browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and devices (e.g., desktop, mobile) to ensure compatibility.

Automated tests can also be implemented to provide continuous validation of the fix. 4. Deployment and Monitoring: Once the solution has been tested and verified, it can be deployed to the production environment. It is crucial to monitor the application after deployment to ensure that the fix is working as expected and that no new issues have been introduced. Monitoring can involve checking logs, tracking user behavior, and gathering feedback from administrators.

Conclusion

The resolution of this bug ensures that the enableSupportAdmin feature flag functions correctly, providing the intended control over the visibility of the "Admin (support)" role. By following the steps outlined in this article, developers can effectively address the issue and maintain the integrity of the Bloom Housing project. Addressing such issues promptly ensures a smoother user experience, enhances security, and reinforces the reliability of the application. Feature flags are a powerful tool, and their proper implementation is crucial for managing the rollout of new features and maintaining control over the application's behavior.

For more information on feature flags and their best practices, check out this article on Feature Flags.