Createaccount API should support username validation without having to try to create an account
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	• Deskana
	Nov 26 2014, 10:52 PM

Description

User story: "As a user, I'd like to know whether the username I have chosen is valid before I try to create it, so that I can fix it first."

Expected API input: username=Deskana
Expected API output: boolean, saying whether this is a valid username that could be created

Basically, in the app the user has to continually resubmit requests before they know whether their username is valid or not. It'd be nice if, after they've typed in their username, we could send a request to the API to see whether it's valid or not, while they continue with the rest of the form. That way, we can inform them to change it before they submit.

Right now it's only possible to validate the username by trying to create it.

Details

Subject	Repo	Branch	Lines /-
API changes for AuthManager	mediawiki/core	REL1_27	1 K -207
API changes for AuthManager	mediawiki/core	master	1 K -207
Separate out username validation from addNewAccountInternal()	mediawiki/core	master	190 -78

Customize query in gerrit

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Event Timeline

• Deskana created this task.Nov 26 2014, 10:52 PM

• Deskana renamed this task from Pre-validation of username by createaccount API to see whether it's a valid username to Createaccount API should support username validation without having to try to create an account.

• Deskana raised the priority of this task from to Needs Triage.

• Deskana updated the task description. (Show Details)

• Deskana added a project: MediaWiki-Action-API.

• Deskana changed Security from none to None.

• Deskana updated the task description. (Show Details)

• Deskana subscribed.

Dereckson awarded a token.Nov 27 2014, 1:53 AM

This would be a nice addition to the API.

As we have a well defined API code and a separate function exists to validate usernames, I add the good first task label: this task is suitable for a first approach of our MediaWiki code base.

What does validate mean in this context? Does that mean it passes the normalization checks, or do we also include AntiSpoof, TitleBlacklist, etc.?

In T76103#790351, @Legoktm wrote:

What does validate mean in this context? Does that mean it passes the normalization checks, or do we also include AntiSpoof, TitleBlacklist, etc.?

It should check everything. This API function should return true if the account could be created, and false if it can not (for whatever reason) with some additional meaningful information about why the account could not have been created.

I think it would be reasonable for an MVP for this function to not validate *everything*, as long it never incorrectly says that an account cannot be created when it actually can.

Legoktm removed a project: good first task.Nov 27 2014, 2:25 AM

This would probably require refactoring User::addNewAccountInternal() into two functions: one that does everything up to the 'ExemptFromAccountCreationThrottle' hook call and one that does that and the bits after.

Change 182886 had a related patch set uploaded (by Deskana):
Separate out username validation from addNewAccountInternal()

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/182886

Patch-For-Review

Nemo_bis awarded a token.Jan 16 2015, 10:58 PM

Nemo_bis added a parent task: T19312: Separate UserLogin from authentication process; create account creation and identification internal API.

Nemo_bis mentioned this in T17700: Separate out and clean up account creation logic in MediaWiki core.Jan 16 2015, 11:01 PM

• MZMcBride subscribed.Jan 27 2015, 12:01 AM

Anomie moved this task from Unsorted to Needs Review on the MediaWiki-Action-API board.Feb 19 2015, 6:20 PM

bd808 mentioned this in T90925: General authentication improvements for MediaWiki.Feb 26 2015, 9:13 PM

Aklapper triaged this task as Medium priority.Mar 23 2015, 8:56 PM

Aklapper subscribed.

mxn subscribed.Jul 31 2015, 5:45 AM

Tgr added a subtask: T110747: Rewrite the account creation API to use AuthManager.Aug 28 2015, 10:37 PM

Change 182886 abandoned by Deskana:
Separate out username validation from addNewAccountInternal()

Reason:
I've not touched this in months and probably won't get around to it again, so I'm abandoning. If someone else wants to take over, feel free to restore this and take ownership.

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/182886

Anomie moved this task from Needs Review to Needs details or plan on the MediaWiki-Action-API board.Sep 24 2015, 4:59 PM

Change 265201 had a related patch set uploaded (by Anomie):
WIP: API changes for AuthManager

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/265201

Anomie moved this task from Needs details or plan to In Dev on the MediaWiki-Action-API board.Feb 18 2016, 6:04 PM

Change 265201 merged by jenkins-bot:
API changes for AuthManager

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/265201

This is resolved now with the introduction of AuthManager, and specifically the addition of usprop=cancreate to API action=query&list=users.

There's no timeframe for when this will be available on WMF wikis, though, beyond "soon". The next step will be to resolve T110282, then a gradual deploy while watching for things to break.

ReleaseTaggerBot added projects: MW-1.28-release-notes, MW-1.28-release (WMF-deploy-2016-05-17_(1.28.0-wmf.2)).May 16 2016, 8:00 PM

Change 289122 had a related patch set uploaded (by Gergő Tisza):
API changes for AuthManager

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/289122

Change 289122 merged by jenkins-bot:
API changes for AuthManager

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/289122

ReleaseTaggerBot added a project: MW-1.27-release-notes.May 17 2016, 2:00 AM

Aklapper removed a subscriber: Anomie.Oct 16 2020, 5:42 PM