10 files changed, 81 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1de079800..20a7ce037 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
         - Option to send multiple photos over Open311 #1986
         - Allow Open311 service definitions to include automated
           attributes #1986
+        - Optionally supress blank Open311 update errors #1986
     - Front end improvements:
         - Improve questionnaire process. #1939 #1998
         - Increase size of "sub map links" (hide pins, permalink, etc) #2003
diff --git a/bin/update-schema b/bin/update-schema
index d9322d80b..9660837c6 100755
--- a/bin/update-schema
+++ b/bin/update-schema
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ else {
 # (assuming schema change files are never half-applied, which should be the case)
 sub get_db_version {
     return 'EMPTY' if ! table_exists('problem');
+    return '0058' if column_exists('body', 'blank_updates_permitted');
     return '0057' if column_exists('body', 'fetch_problems');
     return '0056' if column_exists('users', 'email_verified');
     return '0055' if column_exists('response_priorities', 'is_default');
diff --git a/db/downgrade_0058---0057.sql b/db/downgrade_0058---0057.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ce8f527c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/downgrade_0058---0057.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+BEGIN;
+
+ALTER TABLE body DROP blank_updates_permitted;
+
+COMMIT;
diff --git a/db/schema.sql b/db/schema.sql
index 9d212e1da..739090480 100644
--- a/db/schema.sql
+++ b/db/schema.sql
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ create table body (
     can_be_devolved boolean not null default 'f',
     send_extended_statuses boolean not null default 'f',
     fetch_problems boolean not null default 'f',
+    blank_updates_permitted boolean not null default 'f',
     deleted boolean not null default 'f'
 );
 
diff --git a/db/schema_0058-blank-updates-permitted.sql b/db/schema_0058-blank-updates-permitted.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8b6710bc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/schema_0058-blank-updates-permitted.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+BEGIN;
+
+ALTER TABLE body ADD blank_updates_permitted boolean default 'f' not null;
+
+COMMIT;
diff --git a/perllib/FixMyStreet/App/Controller/Admin.pm b/perllib/FixMyStreet/App/Controller/Admin.pm
index 27792cd9d..c12fdf9b9 100644
--- a/perllib/FixMyStreet/App/Controller/Admin.pm
+++ b/perllib/FixMyStreet/App/Controller/Admin.pm
@@ -446,6 +446,7 @@ sub body_params : Private {
     %defaults = ( %defaults,
         send_comments => 0,
         fetch_problems => 0,
+        blank_updates_permitted => 0,
         suppress_alerts => 0,
         comment_user_id => undef,
         send_extended_statuses => 0,
diff --git a/perllib/FixMyStreet/DB/Result/Body.pm b/perllib/FixMyStreet/DB/Result/Body.pm
index 95c176084..a9df1aeb7 100644
--- a/perllib/FixMyStreet/DB/Result/Body.pm
+++ b/perllib/FixMyStreet/DB/Result/Body.pm
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ __PACKAGE__->add_columns(
   { data_type => "text", is_nullable => 1 },
   "fetch_problems",
   { data_type => "boolean", default_value => \"false", is_nullable => 0 },
+  "blank_updates_permitted",
+  { data_type => "boolean", default_value => \"false", is_nullable => 0 },
 );
 __PACKAGE__->set_primary_key("id");
 __PACKAGE__->has_many(
@@ -120,8 +122,8 @@ __PACKAGE__->has_many(
 );
 
 
-# Created by DBIx::Class::Schema::Loader v0.07035 @ 2017-12-20 14:32:39
-# DO NOT MODIFY THIS OR ANYTHING ABOVE! md5sum:4RaXIyQmPdyDRW+0pmk0cg
+# Created by DBIx::Class::Schema::Loader v0.07035 @ 2018-03-01 12:27:28
+# DO NOT MODIFY THIS OR ANYTHING ABOVE! md5sum:dzqgZI1wkGDPS2PfJgDEIg
 
 use Moo;
 use namespace::clean;
diff --git a/perllib/Open311/GetServiceRequestUpdates.pm b/perllib/Open311/GetServiceRequestUpdates.pm
index 8e83d08b9..f2a319f15 100644
--- a/perllib/Open311/GetServiceRequestUpdates.pm
+++ b/perllib/Open311/GetServiceRequestUpdates.pm
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ has end_date => ( is => 'ro', default => sub { undef } );
 has suppress_alerts => ( is => 'rw', default => 0 );
 has verbose => ( is => 'ro', default => 0 );
 has schema => ( is =>'ro', lazy => 1, default => sub { FixMyStreet::DB->schema->connect } );
+has blank_updates_permitted => ( is => 'rw', default => 0 );
 
 Readonly::Scalar my $AREA_ID_BROMLEY     => 2482;
 Readonly::Scalar my $AREA_ID_OXFORDSHIRE => 2237;
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ sub fetch {
         }
 
         $self->suppress_alerts( $body->suppress_alerts );
+        $self->blank_updates_permitted( $body->blank_updates_permitted );
         $self->system_user( $body->comment_user );
         $self->update_comments( $o, $body );
     }
@@ -183,6 +185,8 @@ sub comment_text_for_request {
         return $template->text;
     }
 
+    return "" if $self->blank_updates_permitted;
+
     print STDERR "Couldn't determine update text for $request->{update_id} (report " . $problem->id . ")\n";
     return "";
 }
diff --git a/t/open311/getservicerequestupdates.t b/t/open311/getservicerequestupdates.t
index da427e505..a53354685 100644
--- a/t/open311/getservicerequestupdates.t
+++ b/t/open311/getservicerequestupdates.t
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env perl
 
 use FixMyStreet::Test;
+use Test::Output;
 use CGI::Simple;
 use LWP::Protocol::PSGI;
 use t::Mock::Static;
@@ -782,6 +783,53 @@ foreach my $test ( {
     }
 }
 
+foreach my $test ( {
+        desc => 'normally blank text produces a warning',
+        num_alerts => 1,
+        blank_updates_permitted => 0,
+    },
+    {
+        desc => 'no warning if blank updates permitted',
+        num_alerts => 1,
+        blank_updates_permitted => 1,
+    },
+) {
+    subtest $test->{desc}  => sub {
+        my $requests_xml = qq{<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+        <service_requests_updates>
+        <request_update>
+        <update_id>638344</update_id>
+        <service_request_id>@{[ $problem->external_id ]}</service_request_id>
+        <status>closed</status>
+        <description></description>
+        <updated_datetime>UPDATED_DATETIME</updated_datetime>
+        </request_update>
+        </service_requests_updates>
+        };
+
+        $problem->state( 'confirmed' );
+        $problem->lastupdate( $dt->clone->subtract( hours => 3 ) );
+        $problem->update;
+
+        $requests_xml =~ s/UPDATED_DATETIME/$dt/;
+
+        my $o = Open311->new( jurisdiction => 'mysociety', endpoint => 'http://example.com', test_mode => 1, test_get_returns => { 'servicerequestupdates.xml' => $requests_xml } );
+
+        my $update = Open311::GetServiceRequestUpdates->new(
+            system_user => $user,
+            blank_updates_permitted => $test->{blank_updates_permitted},
+        );
+
+        if ( $test->{blank_updates_permitted} ) {
+            stderr_is { $update->update_comments( $o, $bodies{2482} ) } '', 'No error message'
+        } else {
+            stderr_like { $update->update_comments( $o, $bodies{2482} ) } qr/Couldn't determine update text for/, 'Error message displayed'
+        }
+        $problem->discard_changes;
+        $problem->comments->delete;
+    }
+}
+
 done_testing();
 
 sub setup_xml {
diff --git a/templates/web/base/admin/open311-form-fields.html b/templates/web/base/admin/open311-form-fields.html
index 393693264..6e6eb96f0 100644
--- a/templates/web/base/admin/open311-form-fields.html
+++ b/templates/web/base/admin/open311-form-fields.html
@@ -49,6 +49,17 @@
   </p>
 
   [% IF show_body_fields %]
+    <div class="admin-hint">
+      <p>
+        [% loc(
+            "Enabling this will suppress the error message that is normally emitted when an update has no description"
+        ) %]
+      </p>
+    </div>
+    <p>
+        <input type="checkbox" id="blank_updates_permitted" name="blank_updates_permitted"[% ' checked' IF object.blank_updates_permitted %]>
+        <label for="blank_updates_permitted" class="inline">[% loc('Permit blank updates') %]</label>
+    </p>
     [%# These fields aren't shown for contacts %]
     <div class="admin-hint">
       <p>