---
category: reference
tags:
  - p2
  - otterwiki
  - platform-mode
last_updated: 2026-03-13
---

# P2-8: Admin Panel Hiding

## Status: Complete

## Acceptance Criteria

- [x] With `PLATFORM_MODE=True`: disabled sections hidden from nav, routes return 404
- [x] With `PLATFORM_MODE=false` (or unset): all sections visible (backward compatible)
- [x] Enabled sections (Application Preferences, Sidebar Preferences, Content and Editing) work normally in both modes
- [x] Existing test suite passes (325 tests + 8 new = 333 total)

## Files Changed

| File | Change |
|------|--------|
| `otterwiki/server.py` | Added `PLATFORM_MODE=False` to default config |
| `otterwiki/templates/settings.html` | Wrapped 4 disabled nav items in `{% if not config.PLATFORM_MODE %}` block |
| `otterwiki/views.py` | Added `platform_mode_disabled` decorator; applied to 5 routes |
| `tests/test_platform_mode.py` | New: 8 tests covering both modes |

## Design Decisions

1. **Decorator approach** — A `platform_mode_disabled` decorator on views.py routes returns `abort(404)` when `PLATFORM_MODE` is truthy. Placed after `@login_required` so auth still runs first.

2. **Five routes disabled** — The 4 specified admin sections plus `/-/user/<uid>` (individual user editing), which is part of User Management and would be inconsistent to leave exposed.

3. **Template conditional** — Single `{% if not config.PLATFORM_MODE %}` block wraps all 4 disabled nav links. The block is inside the existing `{% if has_permission("ADMIN") %}` guard, so it only affects admin users.

4. **Config via `app.config`** — Reads from `app.config.get("PLATFORM_MODE")` so it can be set via environment variable, settings file, or programmatically in tests.

## Test Results

- **Before**: 325 passed
- **After**: 333 passed (8 new tests)
- New tests cover: GET/POST 404 on disabled routes, 200 on enabled routes, nav item visibility in both modes, user edit route blocking

## Branch

`feat/P2-8-admin-panel-hiding` based on `wikibot-io` — not pushed.