README/core/run/views: Add an option to run ZT without marking as read.

This introduces an optional argument, --explore/-e, to run the app in an
explore mode where messages are not marked as read intentionally.

A related suggestion note added in the README.

Tests amended and added.

Fixes zulip#585.

README.md

@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ If it doesn't find this file, you have two options:
 
    Your personal zuliprc file can be obtained from Zulip servers in your account settings in the web application, which gives you all the permissions you have there. Bot zuliprc files can be downloaded from a similar area for each bot, and will have more limited permissions.
 
+We suggest running `zulip-term` using the `-e` or `--explore` option (in explore mode) when you are trying Zulip Terminal for the first time, where we intentionally do not mark messages as read.
+
 ## Configuration
 
 The `zuliprc` file contains information to connect to your chat server in the `[api]` section, but also optional configuration for `zulip-term` in the `[zterm]` section:

tests/cli/test_run.py

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ def test_main_help(capsys, options):
         '--autohide',
         '--no-autohide',
         '-v, --version',
+        '-e, --explore',
         '--color-depth'
     }
     optional_argument_lines = {line[2:] for line in lines

tests/core/test_core.py

@@ -29,10 +29,12 @@ def controller(self, mocker) -> None:
 
         self.config_file = 'path/to/zuliprc'
         self.theme = 'default'
+        self.in_explore_mode = False
         self.autohide = True  # FIXME Add tests for no-autohide
         self.notify_enabled = False
         self.footlinks_enabled = True
-        result = Controller(self.config_file, self.theme, 256, self.autohide,
+        result = Controller(self.config_file, self.theme, 256,
+                            self.in_explore_mode, self.autohide,
                             self.notify_enabled, self.footlinks_enabled)
         result.view.message_view = mocker.Mock()  # set in View.__init__
         return result

tests/ui/test_ui_tools.py

@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@ def test_read_message(self, mocker, msg_box):
         mocker.patch(VIEWS + ".MessageView.update_search_box_narrow")
         msg_view = MessageView(self.model, self.view)
         msg_view.model.is_search_narrow = lambda: False
+        msg_view.model.controller.in_explore_mode = False
         msg_view.log = mocker.Mock()
         msg_view.body = mocker.Mock()
         msg_w = mocker.MagicMock()
@@ -384,6 +385,22 @@ def test_read_message_no_msgw(self, mocker, msg_view):
 
         self.model.mark_message_ids_as_read.assert_not_called()
 
+    def test_read_message_in_explore_mode(self, mocker, msg_box):
+        mocker.patch(VIEWS + ".MessageView.main_view", return_value=[msg_box])
+        mocker.patch(VIEWS + ".MessageView.set_focus")
+        mocker.patch(VIEWS + ".MessageView.update_search_box_narrow")
+        msg_view = MessageView(self.model, self.view)
+        msg_w = mocker.Mock()
+        msg_view.body = mocker.Mock()
+        msg_view.body.get_focus.return_value = (msg_w, 0)
+        msg_view.model.is_search_narrow = lambda: False
+        msg_view.model.controller.in_explore_mode = True
+
+        msg_view.read_message()
+
+        assert msg_view.update_search_box_narrow.called
+        assert not self.model.mark_message_ids_as_read.called
+
     def test_read_message_search_narrow(self, mocker, msg_box):
         mocker.patch(VIEWS + ".MessageView.main_view", return_value=[msg_box])
         mocker.patch(VIEWS + ".MessageView.set_focus")
@@ -394,6 +411,7 @@ def test_read_message_search_narrow(self, mocker, msg_box):
         msg_view.body = mocker.Mock()
         msg_view.body.get_focus.return_value = (msg_w, 0)
         msg_view.model.is_search_narrow = lambda: True
+        msg_view.model.controller.in_explore_mode = False
 
         msg_view.read_message()
 
@@ -407,6 +425,7 @@ def test_read_message_last_unread_message_focused(self, mocker,
         mocker.patch(VIEWS + ".MessageView.set_focus")
         msg_view = MessageView(self.model, self.view)
         msg_view.model.is_search_narrow = lambda: False
+        msg_view.model.controller.in_explore_mode = False
         msg_view.log = [0, 1]
         msg_view.body = mocker.Mock()
         msg_view.update_search_box_narrow = mocker.Mock()

zulipterminal/cli/run.py

@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ def parse_args(argv: List[str]) -> argparse.Namespace:
                                 help='Don\'t autohide list of '
                                      'users and streams.')
 
+    parser.add_argument('-e', '--explore', action='store_true',
+                        help='Do not mark messages as read in the session.')
+
     parser.add_argument('-v',
                         '--version',
                         action='store_true',
@@ -321,6 +324,7 @@ def main(options: Optional[List[str]]=None) -> None:
         Controller(zuliprc_path,
                    theme_data,
                    int(args.color_depth),
+                   args.explore,
                    **boolean_settings).main()
     except ServerConnectionFailure as e:
         print(in_color('red',

zulipterminal/core.py

@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@ class Controller:
     """
 
     def __init__(self, config_file: str, theme: ThemeSpec,
-                 color_depth: int,
+                 color_depth: int, in_explore_mode: bool,
                  autohide: bool, notify: bool, footlinks: bool) -> None:
         self.theme = theme
         self.color_depth = color_depth
+        self.in_explore_mode = in_explore_mode
         self.autohide = autohide
         self.notify_enabled = notify
         self.footlinks_enabled = footlinks

zulipterminal/ui_tools/views.py

@@ -225,6 +225,10 @@ def read_message(self, index: int=-1) -> None:
             return
         self.update_search_box_narrow(msg_w.original_widget)
 
+        # Do not read messages in explore mode.
+        if self.model.controller.in_explore_mode:
+            return
+
         # Do not read messages in any search narrow.
         if self.model.is_search_narrow():
             return