This week, I started implementing moderation within Rent by adding tables for secure user authentication and permission management. However, I’ll need to rebuild the legacy listing and rental window code to proceed further, since I can’t commit any database migrations until then.

To implement moderation, I decided to let regular accounts gain moderation privileges if an authorized administrator grants it. To make this work, I defined a dedicated moderation_privilege table, which contains this set of grants.

Unfortunately, I could not comfortably commit this code to Git beceause the rest of the application still uses legacy table definitions, which need to be redone.

First, I need to update user management to be secure. To create a user, the application must verify e-mail addresses before allowing a user to finalize a password. Without this, the application currently lets users create an account under another’s e-mail address.

I also need to split listing logic. Previously, there was no distinction between items and their advertisements: both were part of one listing. It’s more traditional to let an item’s owner publish multiple advertisements and a renter retain a copy of any advertisement seen. To accomodate both, advertisements become immutable when published, and renters can bookmark an advertisement to keep it after deletion.

Meanwhile, I’ve been reorganizing the back-end code. Previously, I struggled to organize code modules into useful packages while also isolating unsafe testing helpers. For now, I’ve organied the application into four main components:

  1. A core module containing basic data structures, error types, and implementor traits
  2. A Postgres module implementing application data logic in SQL
  3. An HTTP module containing Tower helpers and HTTP controllers
  4. Test helpers.

The crate contains two binaries: one for the main application and another for moderation.

Next week

Next week, I’ll finish implementing user creation. I last programmed e-mail verification in 2020, so I’ll need to relearn it.