API V2.1 - Machine readable tags or IDs

[srtalbot]

Problem

How might we limit the amount of work a developer needs to do when a form that has an API integration needs to be updated / republished?

Key user needs
As a developer
I need to limit the number of updates that I need to do
When a form is updated
So that I only have to change the parts of the integration that have updated on the form, rather than every single form question

As a form builder
I need to work with an infra developer to determine which form questions will (almost) never change
So that when a form is updated the questions that are stable do not change in the API integration

Actions on a question to consider

• Reordering a question (e.g., moving "name" from 3 to 7)
• Deleting and retyping a question
• Fixing a typo on a question
• changing the type of a question (e.g., from radio to checkbox)

Scope

• Identify how we might prevent integrations from breaking - client devs suggested looking at "machine readable tags or IDs"
• Identify what actions are destructive
• Identify where we can prevent an integration from breaking or provide a warning for destructive actions.

[connorscarolyns]

@thiessenp-cds @timarney we'll definitely need to talk this one through together to better understand the problems we are trying to solve. Do you think we should include one of our prototype partners who expressed this need to get a better idea of their needs?

[Abi-Nada]

Connect with @bryan-robitaille and @craigzour first on ideas to get the ball rolling

[connorscarolyns]

Proposed approach:

Phase 1 -
Made sure current question IDs are static and consistent when forms are downloaded and re-uploaded

Phase 2-
Create a custom editable tag that users can add to their questions to enable consistency between different forms that use the same field types, like "Name"

@srtalbot @timarney @bryan-robitaille @Abi-Nada

[connorscarolyns]

@samsadasivan will be consulted on design when interface changes are ready.

[connorscarolyns]

@Abi-Nada should we split this into two tickets? one for the static ID work and one for the editable tags?

[timarney]

I think we should look at the editable tags first as that might help guide the path for the static ID work.

Looking to outline both before we make schema updates.

cc: @samsadasivan @connorscarolyns

[anikbrazeau]

Figma: https://www.figma.com/design/zlh8BVQyDczHvXo4xXUrb6/GC-Forms-API-interface?node-id=4766-37281&t=vowAaPR0FqR7LOHp-4

[timarney]

• update element more dialog menu to allow tag input (default to uuid)
• update form schema to support
• update template store to include tag / uuid
• Attach ID to Response on its way into the Vault
  • Write tests around rehydrateFormResponses chore: Add tests around rehydrateFormResponses #4720
  • Refactor rehydrateFormResponses to support "tagged" responses
• Ensure data gets saved to the API
• Update ResponseDownload formats to parse "tagged" responses and extract/return the data

---

• update increment id to store "next id"
• update template store to use "next id"

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• test with repeating sets
• test with address complete

[dsamojlenko]

Work is underway here: #4694

[timarney]

PR to update the template store to not re-use element ids.

#4695