Mc/3800/backend/option history

docs/openapi.yml

@@ -494,6 +494,40 @@ components:
           items:
             type: string
           description: "List of options for multiple_choice questions"
+          example:
+            - "Democratic"
+            - "Republican"
+            - "Libertarian"
+            - "Green"
+            - "Other"
+        all_options_ever:
+          type: array
+          items:
+            type: string
+          description: "List of all options ever for multiple_choice questions"
+          example:
+            - "Democratic"
+            - "Republican"
+            - "Libertarian"
+            - "Green"
+            - "Blue"
+            - "Other"
+        options_history:
+          type: array
+          description: "List of [iso format time, options] pairs for multiple_choice questions"
+          items:
+            type: array
+            items:
+              oneOf:
+                - type: string
+                  description: "ISO 8601 timestamp when the options became active"
+                - type: array
+                  items:
+                    type: string
+                  description: "Options list active from this timestamp onward"
+          example:
+            - ["0001-01-01T00:00:00", ["a", "b", "c", "other"]]
+            - ["2026-10-22T16:00:00", ["a", "b", "c", "d", "other"]]
         status:
           type: string
           enum: [ upcoming, open, closed, resolved ]
@@ -1306,6 +1340,7 @@ paths:
                           actual_close_time: "2020-11-01T00:00:00Z"
                           type: "numeric"
                           options: null
+                          options_history: null
                           status: "resolved"
                           resolution: "77289125.94957079"
                           resolution_criteria: "Resolution Criteria Copy"
@@ -1479,6 +1514,7 @@ paths:
                           actual_close_time: "2015-12-15T03:34:00Z"
                           type: "binary"
                           options: null
+                          options_history: null
                           status: "resolved"
                           possibilities:
                             type: "binary"
@@ -1548,6 +1584,16 @@ paths:
                             - "Libertarian"
                             - "Green"
                             - "Other"
+                          all_options_ever:
+                            - "Democratic"
+                            - "Republican"
+                            - "Libertarian"
+                            - "Green"
+                            - "Blue"
+                            - "Other"
+                          options_history:
+                            - ["0001-01-01T00:00:00", ["Democratic", "Republican", "Libertarian", "Other"]]
+                            - ["2026-10-22T16:00:00", ["Democratic", "Republican", "Libertarian", "Green", "Other"]]
                           status: "open"
                           possibilities: { }
                           resolution: null

misc/views.py

@@ -113,7 +113,9 @@ def get_site_stats(request):
     now_year = datetime.now().year
     public_questions = Question.objects.filter_public()
     stats = {
-        "predictions": Forecast.objects.filter(question__in=public_questions).count(),
+        "predictions": Forecast.objects.filter(question__in=public_questions)
+        .exclude(source=Forecast.SourceChoices.AUTOMATIC)
+        .count(),
         "questions": public_questions.count(),
         "resolved_questions": public_questions.filter(actual_resolve_time__isnull=False)
         .exclude(resolution__in=UnsuccessfulResolutionType)

posts/models.py

@@ -810,7 +810,11 @@ def update_forecasts_count(self):
         Update forecasts count cache
         """
 
-        self.forecasts_count = self.forecasts.filter_within_question_period().count()
+        self.forecasts_count = (
+            self.forecasts.filter_within_question_period()
+            .exclude(source=Forecast.SourceChoices.AUTOMATIC)
+            .count()
+        )
         self.save(update_fields=["forecasts_count"])
 
     def update_forecasters_count(self):

questions/admin.py

@@ -32,7 +32,12 @@ class QuestionAdmin(CustomTranslationAdmin, DynamicArrayMixin):
         "curation_status",
         "post_link",
     ]
-    readonly_fields = ["post_link", "view_forecasts"]
+    readonly_fields = [
+        "post_link",
+        "view_forecasts",
+        "options",
+        "options_history",
+    ]
     search_fields = [
         "id",
         "title_original",

questions/migrations/0013_forecast_source.py

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
             name="source",
             field=models.CharField(
                 blank=True,
-                choices=[("api", "Api"), ("ui", "Ui")],
+                choices=[("api", "Api"), ("ui", "Ui"), ("automatic", "Automatic")],
                 default="",
                 max_length=30,
                 null=True,

questions/migrations/0033_question_options_history.py

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.1.13 on 2025-11-15 19:35
+from datetime import datetime
+
+
+import questions.models
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+def initialize_options_history(apps, schema_editor):
+    Question = apps.get_model("questions", "Question")
+    questions = Question.objects.filter(options__isnull=False)
+    for question in questions:
+        if question.options:
+            question.options_history = [(datetime.min.isoformat(), question.options)]
+    Question.objects.bulk_update(questions, ["options_history"])
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("questions", "0032_alter_aggregateforecast_forecast_values_and_more"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="forecast",
+            name="source",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                blank=True,
+                choices=[("api", "Api"), ("ui", "Ui"), ("automatic", "Automatic")],
+                db_index=True,
+                default="",
+                max_length=30,
+                null=True,
+            ),
+        ),
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name="question",
+            name="options_history",
+            field=models.JSONField(
+                blank=True,
+                help_text="For Multiple Choice only.\n        <br>list of tuples: (isoformat_datetime, options_list). (json stores them as lists)\n        <br>Records the history of options over time.\n        <br>Initialized with (datetime.min.isoformat(), self.options) upon question creation.\n        <br>Updated whenever options are changed.",
+                null=True,
+                validators=[questions.models.validate_options_history],
+            ),
+        ),
+        migrations.RunPython(
+            initialize_options_history, reverse_code=migrations.RunPython.noop
+        ),
+    ]

questions/models.py

@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
+from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.db import models
 from django.db.models import Count, QuerySet, Q, F, Exists, OuterRef
 from django.utils import timezone
 from django_better_admin_arrayfield.models.fields import ArrayField
 from sql_util.aggregates import SubqueryAggregate
 
 from questions.constants import QuestionStatus
-from questions.types import AggregationMethod
+from questions.types import AggregationMethod, OptionsHistoryType
 from scoring.constants import ScoreTypes
 from users.models import User
 from utils.models import TimeStampedModel, TranslatedModel
@@ -20,6 +21,27 @@
 DEFAULT_INBOUND_OUTCOME_COUNT = 200
 
 
+def validate_options_history(value):
+    # Expect: [ (float, [str, ...]), ... ] or equivalent
+    if not isinstance(value, list):
+        raise ValidationError("Must be a list.")
+    for i, item in enumerate(value):
+        if (
+            not isinstance(item, (list, tuple))
+            or len(item) != 2
+            or not isinstance(item[0], str)
+            or not isinstance(item[1], list)
+            or not all(isinstance(s, str) for s in item[1])
+        ):
+            raise ValidationError(f"Bad item at index {i}: {item!r}")
+        try:
+            datetime.fromisoformat(item[0])
+        except ValueError:
+            raise ValidationError(
+                f"Bad datetime format at index {i}: {item[0]!r}, must be isoformat string"
+            )
+
+
 class QuestionQuerySet(QuerySet):
     def annotate_forecasts_count(self):
         return self.annotate(
@@ -197,8 +219,20 @@ class QuestionType(models.TextChoices):
     )
     unit = models.CharField(max_length=25, blank=True)
 
-    # list of multiple choice option labels
-    options = ArrayField(models.CharField(max_length=200), blank=True, null=True)
+    # multiple choice fields
+    options: list[str] | None = ArrayField(
+        models.CharField(max_length=200), blank=True, null=True
+    )
+    options_history: OptionsHistoryType | None = models.JSONField(
+        null=True,
+        blank=True,
+        validators=[validate_options_history],
+        help_text="""For Multiple Choice only.
+        <br>list of tuples: (isoformat_datetime, options_list). (json stores them as lists)
+        <br>Records the history of options over time.
+        <br>Initialized with (datetime.min.isoformat(), self.options) upon question creation.
+        <br>Updated whenever options are changed.""",
+    )
 
     # Legacy field that will be removed
     possibilities = models.JSONField(null=True, blank=True)
@@ -251,6 +285,9 @@ def save(self, **kwargs):
             self.zero_point = None
         if self.type != self.QuestionType.MULTIPLE_CHOICE:
             self.options = None
+        if self.type == self.QuestionType.MULTIPLE_CHOICE and not self.options_history:
+            # initialize options history on first save
+            self.options_history = [(datetime.min.isoformat(), self.options or [])]
 
         return super().save(**kwargs)
 
@@ -545,8 +582,11 @@ class Forecast(models.Model):
     )
 
     class SourceChoices(models.TextChoices):
-        API = "api"
-        UI = "ui"
+        API = "api"  # made via the api
+        UI = "ui"  # made using the api
+        # an automatically assigned forecast
+        # usually this means a regular forecast was split
+        AUTOMATIC = "automatic"
 
     # logging the source of the forecast for data purposes
     source = models.CharField(
@@ -555,6 +595,7 @@ class SourceChoices(models.TextChoices):
         null=True,
         choices=SourceChoices.choices,
         default="",
+        db_index=True,
     )
 
     distribution_input = models.JSONField(

questions/serializers/common.py

@@ -17,9 +17,8 @@
     AggregateForecast,
     Forecast,
 )
-from questions.serializers.aggregate_forecasts import (
-    serialize_question_aggregations,
-)
+from questions.serializers.aggregate_forecasts import serialize_question_aggregations
+from questions.services.multiple_choice_handlers import get_all_options_from_history
 from questions.types import QuestionMovement
 from users.models import User
 from utils.the_math.formulas import (
@@ -40,6 +39,7 @@ class QuestionSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
     actual_close_time = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
     resolution = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
     spot_scoring_time = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
+    all_options_ever = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
 
     class Meta:
         model = Question
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ class Meta:
             "type",
             # Multiple-choice Questions only
             "options",
+            "all_options_ever",
+            "options_history",
             "group_variable",
             # Used for Group Of Questions to determine
             # whether question is eligible for forecasting
@@ -122,6 +124,10 @@ def get_actual_close_time(self, question: Question):
             return min(question.scheduled_close_time, question.actual_resolve_time)
         return question.scheduled_close_time
 
+    def get_all_options_ever(self, question: Question):
+        if question.options_history:
+            return get_all_options_from_history(question.options_history)
+
     def get_resolution(self, question: Question):
         resolution = question.resolution