feat: author view only comment box for questions

apps/api/prisma/migrations/20251021142334_add_author_comment_to_question/migration.sql

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+-- AlterTable
+ALTER TABLE "Question" ADD COLUMN     "authorComment" TEXT;
+ALTER TABLE "QuestionVersion" ADD COLUMN     "authorComment" TEXT;
+

apps/api/prisma/schema.prisma

@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ model QuestionVersion {
   id                        Int                @id @default(autoincrement()) /// Unique identifier for the question version
   assignmentVersionId       Int                /// The ID of the assignment version this belongs to
   assignmentVersion         AssignmentVersion  @relation(fields: [assignmentVersionId], references: [id], onDelete: Cascade)
+  authorComment             String? /// The comment an author can leave for context on a question
   questionId                Int?               /// Reference to original question (null for new questions in version)
   totalPoints               Int                /// Points for this question
   type                      QuestionType       /// Type of question
@@ -363,6 +364,7 @@ model Question {
   totalPoints               Int /// Total points that can be scored for the question
   type                      QuestionType /// Type of question
   responseType              ResponseType? /// Type of response expected from the learner
+  authorComment             String? /// The comment an author can leave for context on a question
   question                  String /// The text of the question
   variants                  QuestionVariant[] /// AI-generated variants for this question
   maxWords                  Int? /// Optional maximum number of words allowed for a written response type question

apps/api/src/api/assignment/attempt/attempt.service.ts

@@ -793,6 +793,7 @@ export class AttemptServiceV1 {
         id: originalQ.id,
         variantId: variant ? variant.id : undefined,
         question: questionText,
+        authorComment: originalQ.authorComment ?? null,
         choices: finalChoices,
         maxWords,
         maxCharacters: maxChars,
@@ -1124,6 +1125,7 @@ export class AttemptServiceV1 {
         id: originalQ.id,
         question: primaryTranslation.translatedText || originalQ?.question,
         choices: finalChoices,
+        authorComment: originalQ.authorComment ?? null,
         translations: variant ? variantTranslations : questionTranslations,
         maxWords: variant?.maxWords ?? originalQ?.maxWords,
         maxCharacters: variant?.maxCharacters ?? originalQ?.maxCharacters,

apps/api/src/api/assignment/dto/update.questions.request.dto.ts

@@ -204,6 +204,16 @@ export class QuestionDto {
   @IsBoolean()
   isDeleted?: boolean;
 
+  @ApiPropertyOptional({
+  description: "Author comment or note on this question",
+  type: String,
+  nullable: true,
+  })
+  @IsOptional()
+  @IsString()
+  authorComment?: string | null;
+
+
   @ApiProperty({
     description: "Grading context question IDs (array of question IDs)",
     type: [Number],
@@ -756,6 +766,15 @@ export class AttemptQuestionDto {
   @Type(() => Choice)
   choices?: Choice[];
 
+  @ApiPropertyOptional({
+  description: "Author comment or note on this question",
+  type: String,
+  nullable: true,
+  })
+  @IsOptional()
+  @IsString()
+  authorComment?: string | null;
+
   @ApiPropertyOptional({
     description: "Dictionary of translations keyed by language code",
 

apps/api/src/api/assignment/question/dto/create.update.question.request.dto.ts

@@ -79,6 +79,15 @@ export class CreateUpdateQuestionRequestDto {
   @IsEnum(QuestionType)
   type: QuestionType;
 
+  @ApiPropertyOptional({
+  description: "Author comment or note on this question",
+  type: String,
+  nullable: true,
+  })
+  @IsOptional()
+  @IsString()
+  authorComment?: string | null;
+
   @ApiProperty({
     description: "The question content.",
     type: String,

apps/api/src/api/assignment/v2/repositories/assignment.repository.ts

@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ export class AssignmentRepository {
             assignmentId: result.id,
             isDeleted: false,
             totalPoints: qv.totalPoints,
+            authorComment: qv.authorComment ?? legacy?.authorComment ?? null,
             type: qv.type,
             responseType: qv.responseType ?? null,
             question: qv.question,

apps/api/src/api/assignment/v2/repositories/question.repository.ts

@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ export class QuestionRepository {
         totalPoints: questionData.totalPoints,
         type: questionData.type,
         question: questionData.question,
+        authorComment: questionData.authorComment ?? null,
         responseType: questionData.responseType,
         maxWords: questionData.maxWords,
         maxCharacters: questionData.maxCharacters,
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ export class QuestionRepository {
         totalPoints: questionData.totalPoints,
         type: questionData.type,
         question: questionData.question,
+        authorComment: questionData.authorComment ?? null,
         responseType: questionData.responseType,
         maxWords: questionData.maxWords,
         maxCharacters: questionData.maxCharacters,
@@ -176,6 +178,7 @@ export class QuestionRepository {
             type,
             question,
             assignmentId,
+            authorComment,
             responseType,
             maxWords,
             maxCharacters,
@@ -223,6 +226,7 @@ export class QuestionRepository {
             type,
             question,
             responseType,
+            authorComment: authorComment ?? null,
             maxWords,
             maxCharacters,
             randomizedChoices,

apps/api/src/api/assignment/v2/services/question.service.ts

@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ export class QuestionService {
           type: questionDto.type,
           answer: questionDto.answer ?? false,
           totalPoints: questionDto.totalPoints ?? 0,
+          authorComment: questionDto.authorComment ?? null,
           choices: questionDto.choices,
           scoring: questionDto.scoring,
           maxWords: questionDto.maxWords,

apps/api/src/api/assignment/v2/services/version-management.service.ts

@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@ export class VersionManagementService {
             assignmentVersionId: assignmentVersion.id,
             questionId: question.id,
             totalPoints: question.totalPoints,
+            authorComment: question.authorComment ?? null,
             type: question.type,
             responseType: question.responseType,
             question: question.question,
@@ -489,6 +490,7 @@ export class VersionManagementService {
           id: qv.id,
           questionId: qv.questionId,
           totalPoints: qv.totalPoints,
+          authorComment: qv.authorComment,
           type: qv.type,
           responseType: qv.responseType,
           question: qv.question,
@@ -652,6 +654,7 @@ export class VersionManagementService {
             data: {
               assignmentVersionId: restoredVersion.id,
               questionId: questionVersion.questionId,
+              authorComment: questionVersion.authorComment ?? null,
               totalPoints: questionVersion.totalPoints,
               type: questionVersion.type,
               responseType: questionVersion.responseType,
@@ -973,6 +976,7 @@ export class VersionManagementService {
             data: {
               assignmentVersionId: draftId,
               questionId: questionData.id || null,
+              authorComment: questionData.authorComment ?? null,
               totalPoints: questionData.totalPoints || 0,
               type: questionData.type,
               responseType: questionData.responseType,
@@ -1080,6 +1084,7 @@ export class VersionManagementService {
           data: {
             assignmentVersionId: versionId,
             questionId: question.id,
+            authorComment: question.authorComment ?? null,
             totalPoints: question.totalPoints,
             type: question.type,
             responseType: question.responseType,
@@ -1376,6 +1381,7 @@ export class VersionManagementService {
             data: {
               assignmentVersionId: assignmentVersion.id,
               questionId: questionData.id || null,
+              authorComment: questionData.authorComment ?? null,
               totalPoints: questionData.totalPoints || 0,
               type: questionData.type,
               responseType: questionData.responseType,
@@ -1497,6 +1503,7 @@ export class VersionManagementService {
       questions: latestDraft.questionVersions.map((qv) => ({
         id: qv.questionId,
         totalPoints: qv.totalPoints,
+        authorComment: qv.authorComment,
         type: qv.type,
         responseType: qv.responseType,
         question: qv.question,
@@ -2072,6 +2079,7 @@ export class VersionManagementService {
             data: {
               assignmentVersionId: assignmentVersion.id,
               questionId: questionData.id || undefined,
+              authorComment: questionData.authorComment ?? null,
               totalPoints: questionData.totalPoints || 0,
               type: questionData.type,
               responseType: questionData.responseType,

apps/api/src/api/assignment/v2/tests/unit/__mocks__/ common-mocks.ts

@@ -631,6 +631,7 @@ export const createMockQuestion = (
     isDeleted: false,
     videoPresentationConfig: null,
     liveRecordingConfig: null,
+    authorComment: null,
   };
 
   switch (questionType) {

apps/api/src/api/attempt/common/utils/attempt-questions-mapper.util.ts

@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ export class AttemptQuestionsMapper {
           variantId: variant ? variant.id : undefined,
           question: questionText,
           choices: finalChoices,
+          authorComment: null,
           maxWords,
           maxCharacters: maxChars,
           scoring: scoring as ScoringDto,
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ export class AttemptQuestionsMapper {
       if (variantQ) {
         return variantQ;
       }
-      return { ...originalQ, variantId: undefined };
+      return { ...originalQ, variantId: undefined, authorComment: null };
     });
 
     const questionsWithResponses = this.constructQuestionsWithResponses(
@@ -303,6 +304,7 @@ export class AttemptQuestionsMapper {
           question: primaryTranslation.translatedText,
           choices: sanitizedChoices,
           translations: sanitizedTranslations,
+          authorComment: null,
           maxWords: variant?.maxWords ?? originalQ?.maxWords,
           maxCharacters: variant?.maxCharacters ?? originalQ?.maxCharacters,
           scoring:
@@ -348,6 +350,7 @@ export class AttemptQuestionsMapper {
             translationForLanguage?.translatedText || originalQ.question,
           choices: sanitizedChoices,
           translations: sanitizedTranslations,
+          authorComment: null,
           maxWords: originalQ.maxWords,
           maxCharacters: originalQ.maxCharacters,
           scoring: originalQ.scoring,

apps/web/app/Helpers/checkDiff.ts

@@ -266,6 +266,16 @@ export function useChangesSummary(): string {
         diffs.push(`Updated max characters for question ${question.id}.`);
       }
 
+      const normalizedAuthorComment = (question.authorComment ?? "").trim();
+      const normalizedOriginalAuthorComment = (
+        originalQuestion.authorComment ?? ""
+      ).trim();
+      if (
+        !safeCompare(normalizedAuthorComment, normalizedOriginalAuthorComment)
+      ) {
+        diffs.push(`Updated the author comment for question ${question.id}.`);
+      }
+
       if (
         !safeCompare(
           question.videoPresentationConfig,