Merge pull request #122 from better-stack-ai/fix/comments-order

feat: add sort functionality for top-level comments

Author: olliethedev

docs/content/docs/plugins/comments.mdx

@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ import { CommentThread } from "@btst/stack/plugins/comments/client/components"
 | `currentUserId` | `string` | — | Authenticated user ID — enables edit/delete/pending badge |
 | `loginHref` | `string` | — | Login page URL shown to unauthenticated users |
 | `pageSize` | `number` | — | Comments per page. Falls back to `defaultCommentPageSize` from overrides, then 100. A "Load more" button appears when there are additional pages. |
+| `sort` | `"asc" \| "desc"` | — | Sort direction for top-level comments by `createdAt`. Defaults to `defaultCommentSort` from overrides, then `"desc"` (newest first). Replies inside each thread always render chronologically and are unaffected. |
 | `components.Input` | `ComponentType` | — | Custom input component (default: `<textarea>`) |
 | `components.Renderer` | `ComponentType` | — | Custom renderer for comment body (default: `<p>`) |
 
@@ -528,6 +529,7 @@ Configure the comments plugin behavior from your layout:
 | `currentUserId` | `string \| (() => string \| undefined \| Promise<string \| undefined>)` | Authenticated user's ID — used by the User Comments page. Supports async functions for session-based resolution. |
 | `loginHref` | `string` | Login route used by comment UIs when user is unauthenticated. |
 | `defaultCommentPageSize` | `number` | Default number of top-level comments per page for all `CommentThread` instances. Overridden per-instance by the `pageSize` prop. Defaults to `100` when not set. |
+| `defaultCommentSort` | `"asc" \| "desc"` | Default sort direction for top-level comments in all `CommentThread` instances. Overridden per-instance by the `sort` prop. Defaults to `"desc"` (newest first). |
 | `allowPosting` | `boolean` | Hide/show comment form and reply actions globally in `CommentThread` instances (defaults to `true`). |
 | `allowEditing` | `boolean` | Hide/show edit affordances globally in `CommentThread` instances (defaults to `true`). |
 | `resourceLinks` | `Record<string, (id: string) => string>` | Per-resource-type URL builders for linking comments back to their resource on the User Comments page (e.g. `{ "blog-post": (slug) => "/pages/blog/" + slug }`). The plugin appends `#comments` automatically so the page scrolls to the thread. |

e2e/tests/smoke.comments.spec.ts

@@ -77,15 +77,17 @@ async function testLoadMoreComments(
 	const thread = page.locator('[data-testid="comment-thread"]');
 	await expect(thread).toBeVisible({ timeout: 8000 });
 
-	// First page of comments should be visible (comments are asc-sorted by date)
-	for (let i = 1; i <= pageSize; i++) {
+	// First page of comments should be visible. CommentThread defaults to
+	// `sort: "desc"` (newest first), and comments are created sequentially
+	// 1..totalCount, so the highest-numbered comments appear on page 1.
+	for (let i = totalCount; i > totalCount - pageSize; i--) {
 		await expect(
 			page.getByText(`${bodyPrefix} ${i}`, { exact: true }),
 		).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5000 });
 	}
 
-	// Comments beyond the first page must NOT be visible yet
-	for (let i = pageSize + 1; i <= totalCount; i++) {
+	// Older comments (those that fall on subsequent pages) must NOT be visible yet
+	for (let i = totalCount - pageSize; i >= 1; i--) {
 		await expect(
 			page.getByText(`${bodyPrefix} ${i}`, { exact: true }),
 		).not.toBeVisible();

packages/stack/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@btst/stack",
-  "version": "2.11.8",
+  "version": "2.12.0",
   "description": "A composable, plugin-based library for building full-stack applications.",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",

packages/stack/registry/btst-comments.json

@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ export interface CommentsThreadDiscriminator {
 	parentId: string | null | undefined;
 	status: string | undefined;
 	currentUserId: string | undefined;
+	sort: string | undefined;
 	limit: number;
 }
 
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ export function commentsThreadDiscriminator(params?: {
 	parentId?: string | null;
 	status?: string;
 	currentUserId?: string;
+	sort?: string;
 	limit?: number;
 }): CommentsThreadDiscriminator {
 	return {
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@ export function commentsThreadDiscriminator(params?: {
 		parentId: params?.parentId,
 		status: params?.status,
 		currentUserId: params?.currentUserId,
+		sort: params?.sort,
 		limit: params?.limit ?? 20,
 	};
 }
@@ -128,7 +131,7 @@ export const COMMENTS_QUERY_KEYS = {
 
 	/**
 	 * Key for the infinite thread query (top-level comments, load-more).
-	 * Full key: ["commentsThread", "list", { resourceId, resourceType, parentId, status, currentUserId, limit }]
+	 * Full key: ["commentsThread", "list", { resourceId, resourceType, parentId, status, currentUserId, sort, limit }]
 	 * Offset is excluded — it is driven by `pageParam`, not baked into the key.
 	 */
 	commentsThread: (params?: {
@@ -137,6 +140,7 @@ export const COMMENTS_QUERY_KEYS = {
 		parentId?: string | null;
 		status?: string;
 		currentUserId?: string;
+		sort?: string;
 		limit?: number;
 	}) =>
 		["commentsThread", "list", commentsThreadDiscriminator(params)] as const,

packages/stack/src/plugins/comments/api/query-key-defs.ts

@@ -98,6 +98,17 @@ export interface CommentThreadProps {
 	 * Defaults to true.
 	 */
 	allowEditing?: boolean;
+	/**
+	 * Sort direction for top-level comments by `createdAt`.
+	 * - `"desc"` (default): newest first.
+	 * - `"asc"`: oldest first.
+	 *
+	 * Replies inside each thread always render chronologically (oldest → newest)
+	 * and are unaffected by this prop.
+	 *
+	 * Overrides the global `defaultCommentSort` from `CommentsPluginOverrides`.
+	 */
+	sort?: "asc" | "desc";
 }
 
 const DEFAULT_RENDERER: ComponentType<CommentRendererProps> = ({ body }) => (
@@ -325,6 +336,7 @@ function CommentThreadInner({
 	pageSize: pageSizeProp,
 	allowPosting: allowPostingProp,
 	allowEditing: allowEditingProp,
+	sort: sortProp,
 }: CommentThreadProps) {
 	const overrides = usePluginOverrides<
 		CommentsPluginOverrides,
@@ -334,6 +346,7 @@ function CommentThreadInner({
 		pageSizeProp ?? overrides.defaultCommentPageSize ?? DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE;
 	const allowPosting = allowPostingProp ?? overrides.allowPosting ?? true;
 	const allowEditing = allowEditingProp ?? overrides.allowEditing ?? true;
+	const sort = sortProp ?? overrides.defaultCommentSort ?? "desc";
 	const loc = { ...COMMENTS_LOCALIZATION, ...localizationProp };
 	const [replyingTo, setReplyingTo] = useState<string | null>(null);
 	const [expandedReplies, setExpandedReplies] = useState<Set<string>>(
@@ -357,6 +370,7 @@ function CommentThreadInner({
 		status: "approved",
 		parentId: null,
 		currentUserId,
+		sort,
 		pageSize,
 	});
 
@@ -366,6 +380,7 @@ function CommentThreadInner({
 		currentUserId,
 		infiniteKey: threadQueryKey,
 		pageSize,
+		sort,
 	});
 
 	const handlePost = async (body: string) => {

packages/stack/src/plugins/comments/client/components/comment-thread.tsx

@@ -164,6 +164,11 @@ export function useInfiniteComments(
 		parentId?: string | null;
 		status?: "pending" | "approved" | "spam";
 		currentUserId?: string;
+		/**
+		 * Sort direction by `createdAt`. Default: `"asc"` (oldest first) — matches
+		 * the server-side default. Pass `"desc"` for newest-first threads.
+		 */
+		sort?: "asc" | "desc";
 		pageSize?: number;
 	},
 	options?: { enabled?: boolean },
@@ -178,6 +183,7 @@ export function useInfiniteComments(
 		parentId: params.parentId ?? null,
 		status: params.status,
 		currentUserId: params.currentUserId,
+		sort: params.sort,
 		limit: pageSize,
 	});
 
@@ -266,6 +272,17 @@ export function usePostComment(
 		 * `nextOffset` from `lastPage.limit` instead of a hardcoded fallback.
 		 */
 		pageSize?: number;
+		/**
+		 * Sort direction of the surrounding infinite thread.
+		 * - `"asc"` (default): newest comments belong on the LAST page → optimistic
+		 *   item is appended to `pages[last].items`.
+		 * - `"desc"`: newest comments belong on the FIRST page → optimistic item
+		 *   is prepended to `pages[0].items`.
+		 *
+		 * Must match the `sort` passed to `useInfiniteComments` so the optimistic
+		 * item appears in the same position the server will place it.
+		 */
+		sort?: "asc" | "desc";
 	},
 ) {
 	const queryClient = useQueryClient();
@@ -350,6 +367,7 @@ export function usePostComment(
 				const previous =
 					queryClient.getQueryData<InfiniteData<CommentListResult>>(listKey);
 
+				const isDesc = params.sort === "desc";
 				queryClient.setQueryData<InfiniteData<CommentListResult>>(
 					listKey,
 					(old) => {
@@ -366,16 +384,21 @@ export function usePostComment(
 								pageParams: [0],
 							};
 						}
-						const lastIdx = old.pages.length - 1;
+						// For asc (oldest-first) threads the new comment lives at the end →
+						// append to the last page. For desc (newest-first) threads it lives
+						// at the top → prepend to the first page.
+						const targetIdx = isDesc ? 0 : old.pages.length - 1;
 						return {
 							...old,
 							// Increment `total` on every page so the header count (which reads
 							// pages[0].total) stays in sync even after multiple pages are loaded.
 							pages: old.pages.map((page, idx) =>
-								idx === lastIdx
+								idx === targetIdx
 									? {
 											...page,
-											items: [...page.items, optimistic],
+											items: isDesc
+												? [optimistic, ...page.items]
+												: [...page.items, optimistic],
 											total: page.total + 1,
 										}
 									: { ...page, total: page.total + 1 },

packages/stack/src/plugins/comments/client/hooks/use-comments.tsx

@@ -75,6 +75,16 @@ export interface CommentsPluginOverrides {
 	 */
 	defaultCommentPageSize?: number;
 
+	/**
+	 * Default sort direction (by `createdAt`) for top-level comments in
+	 * `CommentThread`.
+	 * - `"desc"` (default): newest comments first.
+	 * - `"asc"`: oldest comments first.
+	 *
+	 * Can be overridden per-instance via the `sort` prop on `CommentThread`.
+	 */
+	defaultCommentSort?: "asc" | "desc";
+
 	/**
 	 * When false, the comment form and reply buttons are hidden in all
 	 * `CommentThread` instances. Users can still read existing comments.

packages/stack/src/plugins/comments/client/overrides.ts

@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ function createCommentsThreadQueries(
 			parentId?: string | null;
 			status?: "pending" | "approved" | "spam";
 			currentUserId?: string;
+			sort?: "asc" | "desc";
 			limit?: number;
 		}) => ({
 			// Offset is excluded from the key — it is driven by pageParam.
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ function createCommentsThreadQueries(
 						// The server resolves the caller's identity server-side via the
 						// resolveCurrentUserId hook. It is still included in the queryKey
 						// above for client-side cache segregation.
+						sort: params?.sort,
 						limit: params?.limit ?? 20,
 						offset: pageParam ?? 0,
 					},