SPIKE: Unifying logic in the backend so the vets-website and mobile app can share it

[dysbo]

We would like to move logic for the following two items into the backend so the web and mobile frontends do not need to write duplicate logic to perform the same task:

1. Suppress PMR Pending Tracked Item: Change Request: suppress PMR Pending tracked item va-mobile-app#9671
2. Allow veterans to download additional claim development letters: Change request: give Veterans the ability to download additional claim development letters va-mobile-app#9466

This will promote a consistent experience across platforms and make the user journey easier for the veteran.

Objective:

1. We need a concrete idea of what we want to accomplish. May need a conversation with Amy, Cory and whomever else they feel should be included in that discussion.
2. Focus should be on Point 1 above.

Output:

1. Create a ticket to action on 1 above with necessary detail.
2. Create a separate ticket to address item 2 above with necessary detail.

[iandonovan]

Hello! I spent much of the morning reading those two tickets and getting up to speed on what they are, here are my notes thus far:

1. These two items are separate. They are similar in that they are both initiatives we have decided to solve via a unified backend solution, but the problems are different. PMR Pending Items are not in the same zone as Claim Development Letters. We are using the same technique to solve these concerns but they are not actually related. I think they should be treated as separate cards/tickets.
2. We need to accomplish two things. First, for PMR, we need to amend an API endpoint to implement something similar to the Frontend "hack" solution so that the mutation of data is done there rather than client-side. This will, in turn, allow the clients (mobile and frontend) to just display the information given to them by the API. We'll do the work in one place, rather than two.
3. Second, for Additional Claims Letters, we need to amend an API endpoint so that it includes more information and more types of claims letters. I think. I am a little hazy on that one at the moment but the general idea is that the frontend clients (mobile and web) are configured to just display what they're given, so we should change what they are given rather than implement two separate changes (one on each client) to change what they are given before displaying it.

@Sparowhawk you were mentioned in the claims letters issue as discussing something about a decision letter flag. If that is a way to tackle this, I'd love to hear more.

@DonMcCaugheyUSDS you're mentioned on both of these issues as a resource for what it would look like to actually change the backend. Can you point me towards where this code is located? This is my first issue, I'm new to the org.

[DonMcCaugheyUSDS]

Hey Ian! Here's a few pointers to get you oriented on the mobile api:

• Mobile Back End Engineering docs
• Open API docs
• Mobile API code in vets-api
• #va-mobile-app Slack channel <-- good place to start when you have a mobile question

And tagging @jperk51 , the mobile API lead engineer and domain expert.

[dysbo]

Closing since tickets were created and are being worked.