Feature Request Submission System

Welcome to the feature request submission system documentation!

📚 Documentation Overview

Document	Description	Audience
QUICK_START.md	Quick setup guide and usage instructions	Developers & Users
FEATURE_REQUEST_SYSTEM.md	Complete technical specification	Developers
DISCORD_BOT_SETUP.md	Discord bot implementation guide	Developers

🚀 For Users

Submitting a Request

1. Discord (Recommended): Use /feature or /bug slash commands in Discord
2. In-App: Navigate to #/feedback or click "Submit Feedback" in Settings
3. GitHub: Directly create an issue (advanced users)

Discord Commands

• /feature - Submit a feature request
• /bug - Report a bug
• /mystatus - Check status of your submissions

Submissions appear in:

• #features - Public feature request channel
• #bugs - Public bug report channel

How to use: Simply type / in Discord and available commands will appear in autocomplete. Commands work in any channel.

Smart Prompts: If you post a regular message in #features or #bugs, the bot will automatically suggest using the appropriate slash command with a helpful guide that auto-deletes after 30 seconds.

What to Include

• Title: Brief, specific summary (max 100 characters)
• Description: Detailed explanation of what you want and why
• Use Case: Real-world example of how you'd use it
• Priority: How urgent is this?
• Impact: Who would benefit from this?

🛠 For Developers

Quick Setup

# 1. Install dependencies
cd functions
npm install

# 2. Configure Firebase
firebase use lantern-app-dev
firebase functions:config:set \
  github.token="ghp_YOUR_TOKEN" \
  github.repo="cattreedev/lantern_app" \
  discord.webhook_url="YOUR_WEBHOOK_URL"

# 3. Deploy
firebase deploy --only functions

# 4. Test
# Visit http://localhost:5173/#/feedback

See Discord Bot Setup for Discord bot installation.

Architecture

Discord Bot (Primary Method)

Discord User → /feature or /bug command → Discord Modal Form
         ↓
    Bot validates & creates GitHub issue
         ↓
    ┌────┴────┬────────────┐
    ↓         ↓            ↓
GitHub    Public       Admin
Issue     Channel      Monitor

Web Form (Alternative Method)

User → FeatureRequestForm (React) → Firebase Function
         ↓
    GitHub Issue + Firestore Storage
         ↓
    Admin Monitor (optional webhook)

Key Features

✅ Automatic GitHub Issue Creation

• Standardized formatting
• Auto-labeling (type, priority, environment)
• Direct links for tracking

✅ Duplicate Detection

• Real-time similarity checking
• Prevents duplicate submissions
• Shows related existing requests

✅ Discord Integration

• Webhook notifications
• Separate dev/prod channels
• Rich embeds with metadata

✅ Environment Awareness

• Automatic dev vs prod detection
• Separate Discord channels
• Environment-specific labels

✅ Rate Limiting

• 5 submissions per user per 24 hours
• Per environment (dev and prod independent)
• Prevents spam

✅ Security

• Input validation and sanitization
• Firebase Auth required
• Anonymous submission option
• Secrets managed via Firebase config

📊 System Components

Frontend

• Component: src/screens/feedback/FeatureRequestForm.jsx
• Route: #/feedback
• Features: Validation, character limits, duplicate warnings

Backend

• Functions: functions/index.js
  • createFeatureRequest - Main submission handler
  • checkDuplicates - Similarity detection
• Firestore: featureRequests collection
• GitHub API: Issue creation via Octokit
• Discord: Webhook notifications

Documentation

• QUICK_START.md - Setup guide
• FEATURE_REQUEST_SYSTEM.md - Full spec
• DISCORD_BOT_INTEGRATION.md - Discord bot guide
• FIREBASE_FUNCTIONS_DEV_PROD.md - Deployment guide

🔄 Workflow

User Submission

1. User fills out form in app
2. Client validates input
3. Client checks for duplicates
4. User submits request
5. Firebase Function processes:
   • Creates GitHub issue
   • Stores in Firestore
   • Sends Discord notification
6. User receives GitHub issue link

Team Triage

1. Discord notification appears in channel
2. Team reviews GitHub issue
3. Issue labeled: needs-triage
4. Team adds to project board
5. Status updates tracked in Firestore

🚦 Roadmap

✅ Phase 1: Core System (COMPLETE)

• [x] React form component
• [x] Firebase Cloud Functions
• [x] GitHub issue creation
• [x] Discord notifications
• [x] Duplicate detection
• [x] Environment awareness

📝 Phase 2: Discord Bot (DOCUMENTED)

• [ ] Discord slash command
• [ ] Modal form integration
• [ ] Direct submission from Discord

📝 Phase 3: AI Refinement (DOCUMENTED)

• [ ] Copilot integration
• [ ] Request improvement suggestions
• [ ] Auto-classification

📝 Phase 4: Enhancements (FUTURE)

• [ ] Voting system
• [ ] Comments/discussion
• [ ] Status notifications
• [ ] Admin dashboard

🔒 Security

• ✅ Input validation and sanitization
• ✅ Rate limiting (5 per 24 hours)
• ✅ Authentication required
• ✅ Secrets in Firebase config (never committed)
• ✅ GitHub token with minimal scope (repo only)
• ✅ Discord webhook URLs kept secret

GitHub Repository Access

Current Setup: Private Repository

The repository is private to protect the codebase. For internal team members:

1. Add to GitHub Organization

   • Grant "Read" access to all employees
   • Users can view issues and code but cannot modify
   • Safe for non-technical staff - GitHub prevents editing

2. What Users Can Do

   • ✅ View all GitHub issues
   • ✅ Browse codebase (read-only)
   • ✅ Comment on issues
   • ✅ Track their submissions
   • ❌ Cannot push code (requires Write permission)
   • ❌ Cannot merge PRs or change settings

3. Future: Public Submissions

   • Planned enhancement to support public community feedback
   • Separate public issues repository
   • See Discord Bot README for details
   • Will maintain codebase security while enabling community engagement

📈 Monitoring

Metrics to Track

• Submissions per day/week
• Request type distribution
• Priority breakdown
• Duplicate detection rate
• Time to triage
• Status progression

Firestore Queries

// Submissions in last 7 days
const recent = await db.collection('featureRequests')
  .where('submittedAt', '>', sevenDaysAgo)
  .get()

// By type
const bugs = await db.collection('featureRequests')
  .where('type', '==', 'bug')
  .where('status', '==', 'submitted')
  .get()

// High priority
const urgent = await db.collection('featureRequests')
  .where('priority', '==', 'critical')
  .where('status', '!=', 'completed')
  .get()

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"GitHub token not configured" → Run: firebase functions:config:set github.token="ghp_xxx"

"Function not found" → Deploy: firebase deploy --only functions

Discord notifications not appearing → Check webhook URL is set and valid

Duplicate detection not working → Verify checkDuplicates function is deployed

See QUICK_START.md for more help.

🤝 Contributing

When adding features to this system:

1. Update relevant documentation
2. Test in dev environment first
3. Deploy to both dev and prod
4. Update CHANGELOG.md
5. Document any new config requirements

📞 Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discord: #dev-questions channel
• Documentation: Full Docs Index

🔗 Related Documentation

• Contributing Guidelines
• Firebase Deployment
• Discord Webhooks
• Security Architecture