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* Spec MSC3440: Threading (just the base)

Other threading MSCs to follow

* Spec MSC3856: Threads list API

* Spec MSC3715:  Add`dir` to `/relations`

* changelog

* Apply suggestions from code review

Co-authored-by: Patrick Cloke <clokep@users.noreply.github.com>

* Update changelogs/client_server/newsfragments/1254.feature

Co-authored-by: Patrick Cloke <clokep@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: Patrick Cloke <clokep@users.noreply.github.com>
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turt2live and clokep committed May 3, 2023
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1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions changelogs/client_server/newsfragments/1254.feature
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Add threading via `m.thread` relations, as per [MSC3440](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/3440), [MSC3816](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/3816), [MSC3856](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/3856), and [MSC3715](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/3715).
5 changes: 4 additions & 1 deletion content/client-server-api/_index.md
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Expand Up @@ -1972,6 +1972,7 @@ This specification describes the following relationship types:

* [Rich replies](#rich-replies) (**Note**: does not use `rel_type`).
* [Event replacements](#event-replacements).
* [Threads](#threading).

#### Aggregations

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -2056,6 +2057,7 @@ The endpoints where the server *should* include bundled aggregations are:
* [`GET /sync`](#get_matrixclientv3sync) when the relevant section has a `limited` value
of `true`.
* [`POST /search`](#post_matrixclientv3search) for any matching events under `room_events`.
* {{< added-in v="1.4" >}} [`GET /rooms/{roomId}/threads`](#get_matrixclientv1roomsroomidthreads)

{{% boxes/note %}}
The server is **not** required to return bundled aggregations on deprecated endpoints
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -2641,4 +2643,5 @@ systems.
{{< cs-module name="server_notices" >}}
{{< cs-module name="moderation_policies" >}}
{{< cs-module name="spaces" >}}
{{< cs-module name="event_replacements" >}}
{{< cs-module name="event_replacements" >}}
{{< cs-module name="threading" >}}
201 changes: 201 additions & 0 deletions content/client-server-api/modules/threading.md
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---
type: module
---

### Threading

{{% added-in v="1.4" %}}

Threads allow users to visually branch their conversations in a room. Typically mostly used
when a room is discussing multiple topics, threads provide more organisation of communication
that traditional [rich replies](#rich-replies) can't always offer.

Clients SHOULD render threads differently to regular messages or replies in the timeline, such
as by providing some context to what is going on in the thread but keeping the full conversation
history behind a disclosure.

Threads are established using a `rel_type` of `m.thread` and reference the *thread root* (the
first event in a thread). It is not possible to create a thread from an event with a `rel_type`,
which includes not being able to nest threads. All conversation in a thread reference the thread
root instead of the most recent message, unlike rich reply chains.

As a worked example, the following represents a thread and how it'd be formed:

```json
{
// irrelevant fields excluded
"type": "m.room.message",
"event_id": "$alice_hello",
"sender": "@alice:example.org",
"content": {
"msgtype": "m.text",
"body": "Hello world! How are you?"
}
}
```

```json
{
// irrelevant fields excluded
"type": "m.room.message",
"event_id": "$bob_hello",
"sender": "@bob:example.org",
"content": {
"m.relates_to": {
"rel_type": "m.thread",
"event_id": "$alice_hello"
},
"msgtype": "m.text",
"body": "I'm doing okay, thank you! How about yourself?"
}
}
```

```json
{
// irrelevant fields excluded
"type": "m.room.message",
"event_id": "$alice_reply",
"sender": "@alice:example.org",
"content": {
"m.relates_to": {
"rel_type": "m.thread",
"event_id": "$alice_hello" // note: always references the *thread root*
},
"msgtype": "m.text",
"body": "I'm doing great! Thanks for asking."
}
}
```

As shown, any event without a `rel_type` can become a thread root by simply referencing it
using an `m.thread` relationship.

#### Fallback for unthreaded clients

Clients which understand how to work with threads should simply do so, however clients which
might not be aware of threads (due to age or scope) might not be able to helpfully represent
the conversation history to its users.

To work around this, events sent by clients which understand threads include [rich reply](#rich-replies)
metadata to attempt to form a reply chain representation of the conversation. This representation
is not ideal for heavily threaded rooms, but allows for users to have context as to what is
being discussed with respect to other messages in the room.

This representation is achieved by merging the two relationships and setting a new `is_falling_back`
flag to `true`.

```json
// within an event's content...
"m.relates_to": {
// The m.thread relationship structure
"rel_type": "m.thread",
"event_id": "$root",

// The rich reply structure
"m.in_reply_to": {
// The most recent message known to the client in the thread.
// This should be something with a high chance of being rendered by the other client,
// such as an `m.room.message` event.
"event_id": "$target"
},

// A flag to denote that this is a thread with reply fallback
"is_falling_back": true
}
```

For `m.room.message` events represented this way, no [reply fallback](#fallbacks-for-rich-replies)
is specified. This allows thread-aware clients to discard the `m.in_reply_to` object entirely
when `is_falling_back` is `true`.

{{% boxes/note %}}
Clients which are acutely aware of threads (they do not render threads, but are otherwise
aware of the feature existing in the spec) can treat rich replies to an event with a `rel_type`
of `m.thread` as a threaded reply, for conversation continuity on the threaded client's side.

To do this, copy the `event_id` (thread root) from the event being replied to, add the
`m.in_reply_to` metadata, and add `is_falling_back: true` to `m.relates_to`.
{{% /boxes/note %}}

#### Replies within threads

In the [fallback for unthreaded clients](#fallback-for-unthreaded-clients) section, a new
`is_falling_back` flag is added to `m.relates_to`. This flag defaults to `false` when not
provided, which also allows a threaded message to contain a reply itself.

Aside from `is_falling_back` being `false` (or not specified), the fallback for unthreaded
clients is used to create a reply within a thread: clients should render the event accordingly.

#### Server behaviour

##### Validation of `m.thread` relationships

Servers SHOULD reject client requests which attempt to start a thread off an event with a
`rel_type`. If the client attempts to target an event which already has an `m.thread`,
`m.reference`, or any other `rel_type` then it should receive a HTTP 400 error response
with appropriate error message, as per the [standard error response](#standard-error-response)
structure.

{{% boxes/note %}}
A specific error code is not currently available for this case: servers should use `M_UNKNOWN`
alongside the HTTP 400 status code.
{{% /boxes/note %}}

##### Server-side aggregation of `m.thread` relationships

Given threads always reference the thread root, an event can have multiple "child" events which
then form the thread itself. These events should be [aggregated](#aggregations) by the server.

The aggregation for threads includes some information about the user's participation in the thread,
the approximate number of events in the thread (as known to the server), and the most recent event
in the thread (topologically). This is then bundled into the event as `m.thread`:

```json
{
"event_id": "$root_event",
// irrelevant fields not shown
"unsigned": {
"m.relations": {
"m.thread": {
"latest_event": {
// A serialized copy of the latest event in the thread.
// Some fields are not shown here for brevity.
"event_id": "$message",
"sender": "@alice:example.org",
"room_id": "!room:example.org",
"type": "m.room.message",
"content": {
"msgtype": "m.text",
"body": "Woo! Threads!"
}
},
"count": 7,
"current_user_participated": true
}
}
}
}
```

`latest_event` is the most recent event (topologically to the server) in the thread sent by an
un-[ignored user](#ignoring-users).

Note that any bundled aggregations on `latest_event` should also be present. The server should be
careful to avoid loops, though loops are not currently possible due to `m.thread` not being possible
to target an event with a `rel_type` already.

`count` is simply the number of events using `m.thread` as a `rel_type` pointing to the target event.
It does not include events sent by [ignored users](#ignoring-users).

`current_user_participated` is `true` when the authenticated user is either:
1. The `sender` of the event receiving the bundle (they sent the thread root).
2. The `sender` of an event which references the thread root with a `rel_type` of `m.thread`.

#### Querying threads in a room

Clients looking to get all the events in a thread can use
[`GET /relations/{threadRootId}/m.thread`](#get_matrixclientv1roomsroomidrelationseventidreltype),
however getting all threads in a room is done through a dedicated API:

{{% http-api spec="client-server" api="threads_list" %}}
4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions data/api/client-server/definitions/m.relates_to.yaml
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Expand Up @@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ properties:
The relationship type determines how clients should perceive the event, and in what
context. Some relationship types are processed server-side for "bundling", though not
all relationships require such behaviour. For example, an `m.thread` relationship type
might denote that the event is part of a "thread" of messages and should be rendered as
all relationships require such behaviour. For example, an [`m.thread` relationship type](/client-server-api/#threading)
denotes that the event is part of a "thread" of messages and should be rendered as
such.
event_id:
type: string
Expand Down
36 changes: 33 additions & 3 deletions data/api/client-server/relations.yaml
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Expand Up @@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ paths:
The pagination token to start returning results from. If not supplied, results
start at the most recent topological event known to the server.
Can be a `next_batch` token from a previous call, or a returned
Can be a `next_batch` or `prev_batch` token from a previous call, or a returned
`start` token from [`/messages`](/client-server-api/#get_matrixclientv3roomsroomidmessages),
or a `next_batch` token from [`/sync`](/client-server-api/#get_matrixclientv3sync).
required: false
Expand All @@ -89,6 +89,16 @@ paths:
Similarly, the server should apply a default value when not supplied.
required: false
x-example: 20
- in: query
type: string
enum: ["b", "f"]
name: dir
x-addedInMatrixVersion: "1.4"
description: |-
Optional (default `b`) direction to return events from. If this is set to `f`, events
will be returned in chronological order starting at `from`. If it
is set to `b`, events will be returned in *reverse* chronological
order, again starting at `from`.
responses:
# note: this endpoint deliberately does not support rate limiting, therefore a
# 429 error response is not included.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -193,7 +203,7 @@ paths:
The pagination token to start returning results from. If not supplied, results
start at the most recent topological event known to the server.
Can be a `next_batch` token from a previous call, or a returned
Can be a `next_batch` or `prev_batch` token from a previous call, or a returned
`start` token from [`/messages`](/client-server-api/#get_matrixclientv3roomsroomidmessages),
or a `next_batch` token from [`/sync`](/client-server-api/#get_matrixclientv3sync).
required: false
Expand All @@ -219,6 +229,16 @@ paths:
Similarly, the server should apply a default value when not supplied.
required: false
x-example: 20
- in: query
type: string
enum: ["b", "f"]
name: dir
x-addedInMatrixVersion: "1.4"
description: |-
Optional (default `b`) direction to return events from. If this is set to `f`, events
will be returned in chronological order starting at `from`. If it
is set to `b`, events will be returned in *reverse* chronological
order, again starting at `from`.
responses:
# note: this endpoint deliberately does not support rate limiting, therefore a
# 429 error response is not included.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -335,7 +355,7 @@ paths:
The pagination token to start returning results from. If not supplied, results
start at the most recent topological event known to the server.
Can be a `next_batch` token from a previous call, or a returned
Can be a `next_batch` or `prev_batch` token from a previous call, or a returned
`start` token from [`/messages`](/client-server-api/#get_matrixclientv3roomsroomidmessages),
or a `next_batch` token from [`/sync`](/client-server-api/#get_matrixclientv3sync).
required: false
Expand All @@ -361,6 +381,16 @@ paths:
Similarly, the server should apply a default value when not supplied.
required: false
x-example: 20
- in: query
type: string
enum: ["b", "f"]
name: dir
x-addedInMatrixVersion: "1.4"
description: |-
Optional (default `b`) direction to return events from. If this is set to `f`, events
will be returned in chronological order starting at `from`. If it
is set to `b`, events will be returned in *reverse* chronological
order, again starting at `from`.
responses:
# note: this endpoint deliberately does not support rate limiting, therefore a
# 429 error response is not included.
Expand Down
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