Markdown In Room Descriptions Bug

Hey everyone! Let's dive into a recent bug that's popped up in the Expensify app, specifically affecting how room descriptions are displayed in the Left Hand Navigation (LHN). It seems like when you use markdown formatting in a room description, it's not rendering as expected. Instead of seeing the nicely formatted markdown, users are seeing the raw HTML tags right there in the LHN. This is a bit of a bummer, as it messes with the intended look and feel of these descriptions. We want those descriptions to look clean and professional, not like a jumbled mess of code!

Understanding the Bug: Markdown Mishaps in the LHN

So, what's the deal with this room description bug, guys? Basically, when you're in the app and you decide to jazz up a room description using markdown – think headings, bold text, italics, the works – something goes sideways. The app is supposed to process this markdown and display it beautifully, but it's not happening. What we're seeing instead is the raw HTML tags appearing directly in the chat report within the LHN. Imagine you tried to create a cool header using # My Room Title, expecting it to show up as a big, bold heading. Instead, you're getting # My Room Title literally displayed in the chat. This defeats the purpose of using markdown for formatting, right? It’s like trying to send a fancy letter but the ink smudges all over the place. This issue was observed on Android version 13 with a Redmi Note 10s device and has been confirmed as reproducible in both staging and production environments. It's important to note that this isn't just a visual glitch; it affects how users perceive the information presented in the LHN. A properly formatted description can convey hierarchy and importance, whereas raw HTML tags just look messy and unprofessional. We need to ensure that whatever markdown we input gets rendered correctly so that the LHN remains a clear and organized space for all our conversations and room details. This bug report highlights a specific instance where the markdown processor isn't doing its job, leading to a less-than-ideal user experience. We're talking about a core feature here – making text look good – and when that breaks, it definitely needs our attention. The good news is that it's reproducible, which means we can track it down and squash it. We've got the details on the device, the app version, and the steps to reproduce it, which are super helpful for the devs jumping on this.

Steps to Reproduce the Markdown Rendering Issue

To really get a handle on this Expensify app bug, let's walk through the exact steps that trigger it. It's pretty straightforward, and thankfully, it doesn't require any super complex maneuvers. First things first, you'll need to launch the app. Once it's up and running, navigate to an admin room. Now, the key action here is to tap the header where you can edit the room's description. For the first test, enter a simple text, like the letter 'j', and then hit save. After saving, head back to your LHN. You should observe that the room description text is displayed correctly – no funny business here. This tells us the basic saving and displaying mechanism is working fine. The real fun begins when you go back into the description editing screen. This time, you're going to change the room description with actual markdown. The example given is using a header, like # j, and then saving it. Once you've saved this markdown-formatted description, go back to the LHN again. This is where you'll notice the problem: the description with markdown is shown as HTML tags instead of being rendered as a proper markdown heading. So, that # j you entered? It's likely showing up as <p># j</p> or something similar in the LHN, which is definitely not what we want. It's these specific steps that clearly demonstrate the failure in the markdown rendering pipeline for room descriptions within the LHN. Understanding these steps is crucial for anyone looking to fix this, as it provides a clear, repeatable scenario to test against. It’s like a mini-recipe for encountering the bug, ensuring we’re all looking at the same issue. The comparison between a simple text entry and a markdown entry is particularly telling – it isolates the problem specifically to how markdown is handled, not just general text display.

Expected vs. Actual Results: What Should Happen and What Is Happening

Let's break down what we expect to see versus what's actually happening with these room descriptions. The expected result is pretty clear: when you use markdown formatting in a room description, it should be rendered as intended within the LHN. So, if you use a heading like # Important Notice, you should see a prominent heading in the LHN. If you use bold text or italics, those stylistic changes should be visible. The goal is for the room description to be clean, readable, and visually organized, enhancing the user experience. The markdown should be interpreted and displayed as formatted text. Now, for the actual result, things are a bit off. Instead of seeing the nicely rendered markdown, the app is displaying the raw HTML tags in the LHN. So, that # Important Notice heading you tried to create? You're likely seeing something like <p># Important Notice</p> or maybe even more complex HTML depending on what markdown syntax was used. This is a significant departure from the expected behavior and makes the LHN look cluttered and unprofessional. It's like ordering a gourmet meal and getting the raw ingredients dumped on your plate – functional, perhaps, but definitely not the polished experience you were promised. This discrepancy highlights a failure in the markdown parsing or rendering component of the app specifically within the context of the LHN display for room descriptions. The app is failing to translate the user's intent (formatted text) into the final presentation (rendered text), opting instead to show the underlying markup language. This bug needs fixing to ensure that users can effectively use markdown to improve the clarity and appearance of their room descriptions. The contrast between the expected clean presentation and the actual messy HTML tag display is stark and clearly points to an area that requires immediate attention from the development team. It’s this gap between intention and execution that defines the bug.

Workaround and Platform Availability

Right now, for this particular Expensify markdown bug, there isn't a known workaround. This means users are stuck with seeing the HTML tags in the LHN whenever markdown is used in a room description. This is unfortunate because it directly impacts the usability and aesthetic of the app's chat interface. We're hoping a fix comes quickly so users don't have to put up with this for too long. When it comes to platforms, this issue is confirmed to be affecting Android native apps. We've also seen it pop up on Windows and MacOS when using Chrome browsers. However, it seems like iOS apps and web versions on Safari and Chrome, as well as mWeb on Android, might be in the clear for now, as they are not marked as reproducible. This is good information to have, as it helps the team focus their efforts. If you're primarily an Android user or primarily work within Chrome on desktop, you're more likely to encounter this. For those on iOS or using Safari for web browsing, you might be spared this particular annoyance. The platform-specific nature of bugs can sometimes be tricky, but it also means that a fix deployed for one platform might not necessarily solve it for others, or vice-versa. The testing matrix here is pretty clear: Android (App), Windows (Chrome), and MacOS (Chrome/Safari) are the confirmed affected platforms. This breakdown is super helpful for developers trying to pinpoint the root cause, as they can start looking at platform-specific code or rendering engines. It narrows down the search area considerably. So, while there's no quick fix for users right now, knowing which platforms are impacted helps us manage expectations and prioritize the development effort. We're all eager to see this resolved across the board!

Contributing to the Solution

For all you coding wizards out there, if you're looking for a way to contribute to Expensify, this bug presents a fantastic opportunity! You can check out our contributing guidelines to get yourself up to speed on how things work around here. It's a great way to get onboarded and understand the development process. Once you're familiar with the guidelines, feel free to email contributors@expensify.com to request an invite to our Slack channel. Joining the Slack channel is where the real magic happens – you can connect with other contributors, ask questions, and get involved in discussions about issues like this Expensify markdown bug. Tackling a bug like the one where room descriptions with markdown are shown as HTML in LHN is a tangible way to make a difference. It's not just about fixing code; it's about improving the user experience for everyone who uses the app. Your contributions, big or small, are highly valued. We believe in open collaboration, and issues like these are prime examples of how the community can come together to make the app better. So, if you've got the skills and the passion, don't hesitate to reach out. We're always looking for talented individuals to help us refine and enhance the Expensify experience. Remember, every bug fix, every feature enhancement, contributes to the overall quality and success of the platform. It's a win-win: you get to hone your skills, work on cool projects, and help a widely used application become even better. Let's squash this bug together and make sure our room descriptions shine with the formatting they deserve!