CIVIPLMMSR-568: Ensure scheduled_date is always set when submitting a mailing

[erawat]

Summary

Patch for CIVIPLMMSR-568: Adds ensureScheduledDate() private method in CRM_Mailing_BAO_Mailing to prevent mailings from silently disappearing when scheduled_date is lost during the submit pipeline. Called from both add() and doSubmitActions().

Core PR: civicrm#35126

Patch commit

CIVIPLMMSR-568: Ensure scheduled_date is always set when submitting a mailing
PR: https://github.com/civicrm/civicrm-core/pull/35126

[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

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This pull request addresses a critical issue where scheduled mailings could silently disappear from the system if their scheduled_date was inadvertently lost during the submission pipeline. By introducing robust defensive checks, it ensures that all mailings with a scheduled_id consistently have a scheduled_date, thereby preventing data loss and ensuring reliable scheduling.

Highlights

• Prevent silent mailing disappearance: Implemented defensive checks to ensure that scheduled mailings always have a scheduled_date set, preventing them from being lost if this crucial field goes missing during the submission process.
• scheduled_date defaulting: When a mailing has a scheduled_id but lacks a scheduled_date, the system will now automatically default the scheduled_date to the current timestamp (now) to maintain data integrity and ensure proper scheduling.
• Logging for missing dates: Added a warning log entry in CRM/Mailing/BAO/Mailing.php when a scheduled_id is present but scheduled_date is missing, providing visibility into potential data inconsistencies.

Changelog

• CRM/Mailing/BAO/Mailing.php
  • Added logic within doSubmitActions to check if scheduled_id is present but scheduled_date is missing or 'null'. If so, it logs a warning and sets scheduled_date to the current timestamp.
• api/v3/Mailing.php
  • Added a similar check in civicrm_api3_mailing_submit to ensure scheduled_date is populated with the current timestamp if scheduled_id is present but scheduled_date is empty.

Activity

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request introduces defensive guards to ensure scheduled_date is set when a mailing is submitted, preventing mailings from being lost. The core logic is added to CRM_Mailing_BAO_Mailing::doSubmitActions, which is a good central place for this safeguard. A similar check is added to api/v3/Mailing.php. My review suggests removing the redundant and less complete check from the API file to rely on the more robust implementation in the BAO layer, which also improves logging consistency.

[gemini-code-assist]

This check for scheduled_id and scheduled_date is now redundant due to the more comprehensive logic added in CRM_Mailing_BAO_Mailing::doSubmitActions. The doSubmitActions method is called within this API function's execution path, so this check is not necessary here.

The logic in doSubmitActions is also more robust because it handles cases where scheduled_date is the string 'null' and it logs a warning, which is helpful for debugging.

Removing this block will improve consistency and ensure that a warning is always logged when this fallback is triggered, relying on the single source of truth in the BAO.