Manage Friends: Requests, Invitations, And Active List

Managing your connections and relationships within an application can significantly enhance user engagement and overall experience. Implementing a robust Friend Management feature, complete with pending requests, sent invitations, and an active friend list, provides users with the tools they need to build and maintain their network. This article will explore the key components of such a feature, outlining the functionalities, acceptance criteria, and testing considerations.

Friend Management Page Overview

The Friend Management page serves as the central hub for users to manage their social connections. It should provide a clear and intuitive interface for viewing and acting upon pending requests, managing sent invitations, and interacting with their existing friends. The layout should be organized into distinct sections, each dedicated to a specific aspect of friend management.

Pending Requests

This section displays a list of all incoming friend requests that the user has yet to respond to. Each request should include relevant information about the sender, such as their name and profile picture, to help the user make an informed decision. The interface should provide clear options to either accept or reject each invitation. Upon accepting a request, the sender should be automatically added to the user's friend list, and both users should be notified of the successful connection. Rejecting a request should remove it from the list and notify the sender that their request was declined.

• Acceptance Criteria:

  • Users can easily view a list of all pending friend requests.
  • Each request includes relevant information about the sender.
  • Users have the option to accept or reject each request.
  • Accepting a request adds the sender to the user's friend list.
  • Rejecting a request removes it from the list.
  • Both users are notified upon acceptance or rejection.

Sent Invitations

This section displays a list of all friend invitations that the user has sent but have not yet been accepted. Each invitation should include the recipient's name or email address, as well as the date the invitation was sent. The interface should provide an option to cancel an invitation, which would withdraw the request and notify the recipient. This feature is particularly useful when a user accidentally sends an invitation to the wrong person or changes their mind about connecting with someone.

• Acceptance Criteria:

  • Users can clearly view a list of all sent friend invitations.
  • Each invitation includes the recipient's name or email address.
  • Users have the option to cancel an invitation.
  • Canceling an invitation withdraws the request.
  • The recipient is notified upon cancellation.

Active Friend List

This section displays a list of all the user's current friends. Each friend should be represented with their name, profile picture, and possibly a brief status message. The interface should provide options for interacting with each friend, such as sending a message, viewing their profile, or removing them from the friend list. Removing a friend should require confirmation to prevent accidental removals. Upon removal, both users should be notified of the disconnection.

• Acceptance Criteria:

  • Users can easily view a list of all their current friends.
  • Each friend is represented with their name and profile picture.
  • Users have options for interacting with each friend.
  • Users have the option to remove a friend from their list.
  • Removing a friend requires confirmation.
  • Both users are notified upon removal.

Inviting New Friends

A key feature of any friend management system is the ability to invite new friends. The Friend Management page should include a prominent option to invite new friends, typically via email address. When a user enters an email address, the system should first check if a user with that email address already exists in the database.

Existing User

If the email address is associated with an existing user, the system should send a friend request to that user. The recipient will then receive a notification and can accept or reject the request as described in the Pending Requests section.

New User

If the email address is not associated with an existing user, the system should send a request to the application administrator. This request should include the email address of the person the user is trying to invite. The administrator can then manually create a new user account for the invitee or take other appropriate action. This process helps to prevent the creation of duplicate accounts and ensures that all new users are properly vetted.

• Acceptance Criteria:

  • Users can easily invite new friends using their email addresses.
  • The system checks if the email address is associated with an existing user.
  • If the user exists, a friend request is sent.
  • If the user does not exist, a request is sent to the administrator.
  • The administrator can create a new user account for the invitee.

Deleting Friends

Users should have the ability to remove someone from their friend list if they no longer wish to be connected. The process for deleting a friend should be straightforward but also include a confirmation step to prevent accidental removals. When a user chooses to delete a friend, a confirmation dialog should appear, asking them to confirm their decision. Upon confirmation, the user should be removed from the friend's list, and both users should be notified of the disconnection.

• Acceptance Criteria:

  • Users can easily delete someone from their friend list.
  • A confirmation dialog appears before the removal is complete.
  • Upon confirmation, the user is removed from the friend's list.
  • Both users are notified of the disconnection.

Testing Considerations

Thorough testing is essential to ensure that the Friend Management feature functions correctly and provides a seamless user experience. All aspects of the feature should be covered with unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests.

Unit Tests

Unit tests should focus on individual components of the feature, such as the functions for sending friend requests, accepting invitations, and deleting friends. These tests should verify that each component behaves as expected under various conditions.

Integration Tests

Integration tests should verify that the different components of the feature work together correctly. For example, a test could verify that when a user accepts a friend request, the sender is automatically added to the user's friend list and both users are notified.

End-to-End Tests

End-to-end tests should simulate real user scenarios, such as a user sending a friend request, the recipient accepting the request, and the two users interacting with each other. These tests should verify that the feature works correctly from start to finish.

• Acceptance Criteria:

  • All aspects of the Friend Management feature are covered with tests.
  • Unit tests verify the behavior of individual components.
  • Integration tests verify that the components work together correctly.
  • End-to-end tests simulate real user scenarios.

Conclusion

Implementing a comprehensive Friend Management feature is crucial for building a vibrant and engaging social application. By providing users with the tools they need to manage their connections, send invitations, and maintain their friend lists, you can foster a sense of community and encourage users to interact with each other. Remember to prioritize thorough testing to ensure that the feature functions correctly and provides a seamless user experience. By following the guidelines and acceptance criteria outlined in this article, you can create a Friend Management feature that meets the needs of your users and enhances the overall value of your application.

For more information on best practices for user management and social features, visit The Interaction Design Foundation.