vdbergh suggestion

server/fishtest/rundb.py

@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ def sync_request_task(self, worker_info):
         if w["blocked"]:
             # updates last_updated
             self.workerdb.update_worker(
-                my_name, blocked=w["blocked"], message=w["message"], username=None
+                my_name, blocked=w["blocked"], message=None, username=None
             )
             error = self.blocked_worker_message(my_name, w["message"], host_url)
             return {"task_waiting": False, "error": error}

server/fishtest/schemas.py

@@ -105,8 +105,16 @@ def size_is_length(x):
     "_id?": ObjectId,
     "worker_name": short_worker_name,
     "blocked": bool,
-    "message": worker_message,
+    "message?": worker_message,  # old field, todo: remove this field from db records if exists
+    "notes?": intersect(
+        [
+            {"time": datetime_utc, "username": username, "message": worker_message},
+            ...,
+        ],
+        size(0, 100),  # new field, todo: add this field to the db records if it doesn't exists
+    ),
     "last_updated": datetime_utc,
+    at_least_one_of("message", "notes"),
 }
 
 

server/fishtest/templates/workers.mak

@@ -66,14 +66,20 @@
   <form method="POST">
     <div class="mb-3">Last changed: ${delta_date(diff_date(last_updated)) if last_updated is not None else "Never"}</div>
     <div class="mb-3">
-      % if message:
-        <label for="messageView" class="form-label">Issues</label>
-        <textarea
-          id="messageView"
-          rows="6"
-          class="form-control mb-4"
-          readonly
-          >${message}</textarea>
+      % if notes and len(notes) > 0:
+        <label for="messageView" class="form-label">Notes</label>
+          <textarea
+            id="messageView"
+            rows="7"
+            class="form-control mb-4"
+            readonly
+          >
+          % for note in notes:
+${note["username"]} ${note["time"].strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z")}
+${note["message"]}
+
+           % endfor
+           </textarea>
       % endif
 
       <label for="messageInput" class="form-label">New Notes</label>

server/fishtest/views.py

@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ def workers(request):
             w["body"] = worker_email(
                 w["worker_name"],
                 blocker_name,
-                w["message"],
+                w.get("notes", [{}])[-1].get("message", "No message available"),
                 request.host_url,
                 w["blocked"],
             )
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ def workers(request):
         "show_admin": True,
         "worker_name": worker_name,
         "blocked": w["blocked"],
-        "message": w["message"],
+        "notes": w.get("notes", []),
         "show_email": is_approver,
         "last_updated": w["last_updated"],
         "blocked_workers": blocked_workers,

server/fishtest/workerdb.py

@@ -30,20 +30,28 @@ def get_worker(
     def update_worker(self, worker_name, blocked=None, message=None, username=None):
         current_worker = self.get_worker(worker_name)
 
-        new_message = message
-        if message and current_worker and current_worker.get("message") != message:
-            timestamp = datetime.now(timezone.utc).strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z")
-            new_message = (
-                f"{current_worker['message']}\n{username} {timestamp}\n{message}\n"
-            )
+        new_note = None
+        if message:
+            time = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
+            new_note = {
+                "time": time,
+                "username": username,
+                "message": message,
+            }
+
+        if current_worker:
+            notes = current_worker.get("notes", [])
+            if new_note:
+                notes.append(new_note)
+        else:
+            notes = [new_note] if new_note else []
 
         r = {
             "worker_name": worker_name,
             "blocked": blocked,
-            "message": new_message,
+            "notes": notes,
             "last_updated": datetime.now(timezone.utc),
         }
-
         validate(worker_schema, r, "worker")  # may throw exception
         self.workers.replace_one({"worker_name": worker_name}, r, upsert=True)