fix(main): create loading item for activeSection on start

Fixes #9508

The issue was caused by some calls that try to update the activeSection's item, but during chat loading, the activeSection had the possibility of being empty, thus causing a crash.
The fix here is to create a LoadingItem and set it as active during the time the chats load (if the last active section was a community or chat). Then, the updates go to that Item and do nothing, but that's normal.

src/app/global/app_sections_config.nim

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 const CHAT_SECTION_NAME* = "Messages"
 const CHAT_SECTION_ICON* = "chat"
 
+const LOADING_SECTION_ID* = "loadingSection"
+
 const COMMUNITIESPORTAL_SECTION_ID* = "communitiesPortal"
 const COMMUNITIESPORTAL_SECTION_NAME* = "Communities Portal"
 const COMMUNITIESPORTAL_SECTION_ICON* = "communities"

src/app/modules/main/controller.nim

@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ type
     authenticateUserFlowRequestedBy: string
 
 # Forward declaration
-proc setActiveSection*(self: Controller, sectionId: string)
+proc setActiveSection*(self: Controller, sectionId: string, skipSavingInSettings: bool = false)
 
 proc newController*(delegate: io_interface.AccessInterface,
   events: EventEmitter,
@@ -320,10 +320,11 @@ proc getChannelGroups*(self: Controller): seq[ChannelGroupDto] =
 proc getActiveSectionId*(self: Controller): string =
   result = self.activeSectionId
 
-proc setActiveSection*(self: Controller, sectionId: string) =
+proc setActiveSection*(self: Controller, sectionId: string, skipSavingInSettings: bool = false) =
   self.activeSectionId = sectionId
-  let sectionIdToSave = if (sectionId == conf.SETTINGS_SECTION_ID): "" else: sectionId
+  if not skipSavingInSettings:
-  singletonInstance.localAccountSensitiveSettings.setActiveSection(sectionIdToSave)
+    let sectionIdToSave = if (sectionId == conf.SETTINGS_SECTION_ID): "" else: sectionId
+    singletonInstance.localAccountSensitiveSettings.setActiveSection(sectionIdToSave)
   self.delegate.activeSectionSet(self.activeSectionId)
 
 proc getNumOfNotificaitonsForChat*(self: Controller): tuple[unviewed:int, mentions:int] =

src/app/modules/main/io_interface.nim

@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ method onNetworkDisconnected*(self: AccessInterface) {.base.} =
 method viewDidLoad*(self: AccessInterface) {.base.} =
   raise newException(ValueError, "No implementation available")
 
-method setActiveSection*(self: AccessInterface, item: SectionItem) {.base.} =
+method setActiveSection*(self: AccessInterface, item: SectionItem, skipSavingInSettings: bool = false) {.base.} =
   raise newException(ValueError, "No implementation available")
 
 method setActiveSectionById*(self: AccessInterface, id: string) {.base.} =

src/app/modules/main/module.nim

@@ -360,92 +360,109 @@ method load*[T](
     activeSectionId = singletonInstance.userProfile.getPubKey()
 
   # Communities Portal Section
-  let communitiesPortalSectionItem = initItem(conf.COMMUNITIESPORTAL_SECTION_ID, SectionType.CommunitiesPortal, conf.COMMUNITIESPORTAL_SECTION_NAME,
+  let communitiesPortalSectionItem = initItem(
-  amISectionAdmin = false,
+    conf.COMMUNITIESPORTAL_SECTION_ID,
-  description = "",
+    SectionType.CommunitiesPortal,
-  image = "",
+    conf.COMMUNITIESPORTAL_SECTION_NAME,
-  icon = conf.COMMUNITIESPORTAL_SECTION_ICON,
+    amISectionAdmin = false,
-  color = "",
+    description = "",
-  hasNotification = false,
+    image = "",
-  notificationsCount = 0,
+    icon = conf.COMMUNITIESPORTAL_SECTION_ICON,
-  active = false,
+    color = "",
-  enabled = true)
+    hasNotification = false,
+    notificationsCount = 0,
+    active = false,
+    enabled = true,
+  )
   self.view.model().addItem(communitiesPortalSectionItem)
   if(activeSectionId == communitiesPortalSectionItem.id):
     activeSection = communitiesPortalSectionItem
 
   # Wallet Section
-  let walletSectionItem = initItem(conf.WALLET_SECTION_ID, SectionType.Wallet, conf.WALLET_SECTION_NAME,
+  let walletSectionItem = initItem(
-  amISectionAdmin = false,
+    conf.WALLET_SECTION_ID,
-  description = "",
+    SectionType.Wallet,
-  introMessage = "",
+    conf.WALLET_SECTION_NAME,
-  outroMessage = "",
+    amISectionAdmin = false,
-  image = "",
+    description = "",
-  icon = conf.WALLET_SECTION_ICON,
+    introMessage = "",
-  color = "",
+    outroMessage = "",
-  hasNotification = false,
+    image = "",
-  notificationsCount = 0,
+    icon = conf.WALLET_SECTION_ICON,
-  active = false,
+    color = "",
-  enabled = singletonInstance.localAccountSensitiveSettings.getIsWalletEnabled())
+    hasNotification = false,
+    notificationsCount = 0,
+    active = false,
+    enabled = singletonInstance.localAccountSensitiveSettings.getIsWalletEnabled(),
+  )
   self.view.model().addItem(walletSectionItem)
   if(activeSectionId == walletSectionItem.id):
     activeSection = walletSectionItem
 
   # Browser Section
-  let browserSectionItem = initItem(conf.BROWSER_SECTION_ID, SectionType.Browser, conf.BROWSER_SECTION_NAME,
+  let browserSectionItem = initItem(
-  amISectionAdmin = false,
+    conf.BROWSER_SECTION_ID,
-  description = "",
+    SectionType.Browser,
-  introMessage = "",
+    conf.BROWSER_SECTION_NAME,
-  outroMessage = "",
+    amISectionAdmin = false,
-  image = "",
+    description = "",
-  icon = conf.BROWSER_SECTION_ICON,
+    introMessage = "",
-  color = "",
+    outroMessage = "",
-  hasNotification = false,
+    image = "",
-  notificationsCount = 0,
+    icon = conf.BROWSER_SECTION_ICON,
-  active = false,
+    color = "",
-  enabled = singletonInstance.localAccountSensitiveSettings.getIsBrowserEnabled())
+    hasNotification = false,
+    notificationsCount = 0,
+    active = false,
+    enabled = singletonInstance.localAccountSensitiveSettings.getIsBrowserEnabled(),
+  )
   self.view.model().addItem(browserSectionItem)
   if(activeSectionId == browserSectionItem.id):
     activeSection = browserSectionItem
 
   # Node Management Section
-  let nodeManagementSectionItem = initItem(conf.NODEMANAGEMENT_SECTION_ID, SectionType.NodeManagement,
+  let nodeManagementSectionItem = initItem(
-  conf.NODEMANAGEMENT_SECTION_NAME,
+    conf.NODEMANAGEMENT_SECTION_ID,
-  amISectionAdmin = false,
+    SectionType.NodeManagement,
-  description = "",
+    conf.NODEMANAGEMENT_SECTION_NAME,
-  introMessage = "",
+    amISectionAdmin = false,
-  outroMessage = "",
+    description = "",
-  image = "",
+    introMessage = "",
-  icon = conf.NODEMANAGEMENT_SECTION_ICON,
+    outroMessage = "",
-  color = "",
+    image = "",
-  hasNotification = false,
+    icon = conf.NODEMANAGEMENT_SECTION_ICON,
-  notificationsCount = 0,
+    color = "",
-  active = false,
+    hasNotification = false,
-  enabled = singletonInstance.localAccountSensitiveSettings.getNodeManagementEnabled())
+    notificationsCount = 0,
+    active = false,
+    enabled = singletonInstance.localAccountSensitiveSettings.getNodeManagementEnabled(),
+  )
   self.view.model().addItem(nodeManagementSectionItem)
   if(activeSectionId == nodeManagementSectionItem.id):
     activeSection = nodeManagementSectionItem
 
   # Profile Section
-  let profileSettingsSectionItem = initItem(conf.SETTINGS_SECTION_ID, SectionType.ProfileSettings,
+  let profileSettingsSectionItem = initItem(
-  conf.SETTINGS_SECTION_NAME,
+    conf.SETTINGS_SECTION_ID,
-  amISectionAdmin = false,
+    SectionType.ProfileSettings,
-  description = "",
+    conf.SETTINGS_SECTION_NAME,
-  introMessage = "",
+    amISectionAdmin = false,
-  outroMessage = "",
+    description = "",
-  image = "",
+    introMessage = "",
-  icon = conf.SETTINGS_SECTION_ICON,
+    outroMessage = "",
-  color = "",
+    image = "",
-  hasNotification = self.calculateProfileSectionHasNotification(),
+    icon = conf.SETTINGS_SECTION_ICON,
-  notificationsCount = 0,
+    color = "",
-  active = false,
+    hasNotification = self.calculateProfileSectionHasNotification(),
-  enabled = true)
+    notificationsCount = 0,
+    active = false,
+    enabled = true,
+  )
   self.view.model().addItem(profileSettingsSectionItem)
   if(activeSectionId == profileSettingsSectionItem.id):
     activeSection = profileSettingsSectionItem
 
   self.browserSectionModule.load()
-  # self.nodeManagementSectionModule.load()
   self.profileSectionModule.load()
   self.stickersModule.load()
   self.networksModule.load()
@@ -455,12 +472,27 @@ method load*[T](
   self.nodeSectionModule.load()
   # Load wallet last as it triggers events that are listened by other modules
   self.walletSectionModule.load()
-  #self.communitiesPortalSectionModule.load()
 
   # Set active section on app start
-  # If section is profile then open chat by default
+  # If section is empty or profile then open the loading section until chats are loaded
   if activeSection.isEmpty() or activeSection.sectionType == SectionType.ProfileSettings:
-    self.setActiveSection(self.view.model().getItemBySectionType(SectionType.Chat))
+    # Set bogus Item as active until the chat is loaded
+    let loadingItem = initItem(
+      LOADING_SECTION_ID,
+      SectionType.LoadingSection,
+      name = "",
+      amISectionAdmin = false,
+      description = "",
+      image = "",
+      icon = "",
+      color = "",
+      hasNotification = false,
+      notificationsCount = 0,
+      active = false,
+      enabled = true,
+    )
+    self.view.model().addItem(loadingItem)
+    self.setActiveSection(loadingItem, skipSavingInSettings = true)
   else:
     self.setActiveSection(activeSection)
 
@@ -509,6 +541,9 @@ method onChatsLoaded*[T](
   if not activeSection.isEmpty():
     self.setActiveSection(activeSection)
 
+  # Remove old loading section
+  self.view.model().removeItem(LOADING_SECTION_ID)
+
   self.view.chatsLoaded()
 
 method onChatsLoadingFailed*[T](self: Module[T]) =
@@ -606,11 +641,11 @@ method setCommunityIdToSpectate*[T](self: Module[T], communityId: string) =
 method getActiveSectionId*[T](self: Module[T]): string =
   return self.controller.getActiveSectionId()
 
-method setActiveSection*[T](self: Module[T], item: SectionItem) =
+method setActiveSection*[T](self: Module[T], item: SectionItem, skipSavingInSettings: bool = false) =
   if(item.isEmpty()):
     echo "section is empty and cannot be made as active one"
     return
-  self.controller.setActiveSection(item.id)
+  self.controller.setActiveSection(item.id, skipSavingInSettings)
 
 method setActiveSectionById*[T](self: Module[T], id: string) =
     let item = self.view.model().getItemById(id)

src/app/modules/shared_models/section_item.nim

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import ../../../app_service/common/types
 
 type
   SectionType* {.pure.} = enum
+    LoadingSection = -1
     Chat = 0
     Community,
     Wallet,