Private Message Conversations: Step 4 Implementation Summary

Feature plan: Step 1 · Step 2 · Step 3 · Step 4

Stage 1 - Deliver an authorized conversation view

• Changes:

  • Added a private-store and mailbox-service conversation contract that selects the newest 25 messages exchanged by the approved viewer and approved counterpart, then presents them chronologically.

  • Added authenticated no-store conversation page and API routes; self, invalid, and unapproved counterparts return no transcript.

  • Linked Inbox and Sent counterpart names to the conversation view and extended the existing local reader to fetch its scoped conversation list.

• Verification:

  • php tests/run.php PrivateMessageMailboxServiceTest PrivateMessageApiRoutingTest PrivateMessagePageControllerTest PrivateMessageReaderTest PrivateMessageReleaseIsolationTest — 11 passed.

  • The new mailbox-service fixture confirms the 25-message bound, chronological ordering, third-party exclusion, and self-counterpart rejection.

  • php -l passed for changed PHP files; node --check public/assets/private_message_reader.js and git diff --check passed.

  • PrivateMessageReleaseIsolationTest passed: static releases and offline snapshots exclude private mailbox assets. No deployment, schema migration, or external-service change was required.

• Notes:

  • Message envelopes and the existing encryption/signing contracts are unchanged. Stage 2 adds the in-context reply form and refresh behavior.

Stage 2 - Reply from the conversation context

• Changes:

  • Added the shared private-message composer to conversation pages, pre-targeted to the selected counterpart.

  • Added an optional composer success target; conversation sends refresh their transcript only after a successful encrypted submission, while profile and aggregate-user composers retain their prior behavior.

• Verification:

  • php tests/run.php PrivateMessageComposerTest PrivateMessageEnvelopeTest ApprovedUserKeyResolverTest PrivateMessageMailboxServiceTest PrivateMessageApiRoutingTest PrivateMessagePageControllerTest PrivateMessageReaderTest PrivateMessageReleaseIsolationTest — 18 passed.

  • PrivateMessageComposerTest confirms a failed send keeps the stable counterpart draft and a successful send redirects to the configured conversation URL without including plaintext in either request.

  • php -l passed for changed PHP/templates/tests; node --check public/assets/private_message_compose.js and git diff --check passed.

  • PrivateMessageReleaseIsolationTest passed; no deployment, migration, or external-service change was required.

• Notes:

  • Reply encryption continues to use the existing recipient-key resolver and browser envelope helper, so every approved recipient key remains covered.