feat(categories): per-event category ordering — global default + override (#782)

Order a gallery's categories in the flow of the day instead of A–Z. Two layers,
resolved per event: per-event override > global default > name.

- migration 158: photo_categories.display_order (global default), backfilled
  from the current alphabetical order so existing galleries don't reshuffle.
- migration 159: event_category_order (event_id, category_id, position) — the
  per-event override; no backfill, every event starts on the default.
- utils/categoryOrder: shared resolution used by the admin event view and the
  public gallery; fails safe to the global default if the table is absent.
- adminCategories: POST /reorder sets a per-event override (globals +
  event-specific, interleaved); DELETE /reorder/:eventId resets; POST
  /reorder-global sets the global default. Ordering endpoints + create append.
- gallery renders the resolved order.
- Settings → Photo Categories reorders the global default; an event's Categories
  tab reorders that gallery (one combined list + Reset to default). Up/down
  buttons — no drag-and-drop dependency.
- en/de strings.

backend/migrations/core/158_add_category_display_order.js

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/**
+ * Migration 158: per-event category ordering (#782).
+ *
+ * Adds a `display_order` integer to `photo_categories` so photographers can
+ * arrange an event's categories in the flow of the day (Pre-Ceremony →
+ * Ceremony → Reception …) instead of the hard-coded A–Z order. Mirrors the
+ * `display_order` column + reorder pattern already used by `event_types`.
+ *
+ * Preserve existing galleries: backfill `display_order` from the CURRENT
+ * (alphabetical) order, scoped — globals numbered together, event-specific
+ * numbered per event — so nothing reshuffles on upgrade. A custom order is
+ * opt-in via the admin reorder controls. See feedback: migrations should pin
+ * previously-implicit defaults onto existing rows.
+ *
+ * Backfill runs in JS (not a SQL window function) to stay portable across
+ * SQLite (dev) and Postgres (prod).
+ *
+ * Additive + hasColumn-guarded.
+ */
+async function addColumn(knex, table, column, builder) {
+  if (!(await knex.schema.hasColumn(table, column))) {
+    await knex.schema.alterTable(table, builder);
+  }
+}
+
+exports.up = async function (knex) {
+  if (!(await knex.schema.hasTable('photo_categories'))) return;
+
+  await addColumn(knex, 'photo_categories', 'display_order', (t) => {
+    t.integer('display_order').notNullable().defaultTo(0);
+    t.index('display_order');
+  });
+
+  // Backfill from the current alphabetical order, per scope, so existing
+  // galleries render exactly as before until an admin reorders.
+  const cats = await knex('photo_categories')
+    .select('id', 'name', 'is_global', 'event_id')
+    .orderBy('name', 'asc');
+
+  const counters = {};
+  for (const c of cats) {
+    const scope = c.is_global ? 'global' : `event:${c.event_id}`;
+    counters[scope] = (counters[scope] || 0) + 1;
+    await knex('photo_categories')
+      .where('id', c.id)
+      .update({ display_order: counters[scope] });
+  }
+};
+
+exports.down = async function (knex) {
+  if (!(await knex.schema.hasTable('photo_categories'))) return;
+  if (await knex.schema.hasColumn('photo_categories', 'display_order')) {
+    await knex.schema.alterTable('photo_categories', (t) =>
+      t.dropColumn('display_order')
+    );
+  }
+};

backend/migrations/core/159_add_event_category_order.js

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/**
+ * Migration 159: per-event category order override (#782).
+ *
+ * Builds on migration 158 (photo_categories.display_order = the GLOBAL default
+ * order) by adding a per-event OVERRIDE layer. Global categories are shared
+ * across every event, so a single display_order can only express one order for
+ * them. This table lets a single gallery arrange its categories — globals AND
+ * event-specific, interleaved into the flow of the day — independently of the
+ * global default.
+ *
+ * Resolution (see adminCategories / gallery):
+ *   1. if the event has override rows -> use override.position;
+ *   2. else fall back to photo_categories.display_order (the global default);
+ *   3. else name.
+ *
+ * An event is either "using the default" (no rows here) or "customised" (a row
+ * per category it shows). No backfill: every existing event starts on the
+ * default order, so nothing reshuffles — a custom order is opt-in per event.
+ *
+ * Additive + hasTable-guarded.
+ */
+exports.up = async function (knex) {
+  if (!(await knex.schema.hasTable('photo_categories'))) return;
+  if (await knex.schema.hasTable('event_category_order')) return;
+
+  await knex.schema.createTable('event_category_order', (t) => {
+    t.increments('id').primary();
+    t.integer('event_id').notNullable()
+      .references('id').inTable('events').onDelete('CASCADE');
+    t.integer('category_id').notNullable()
+      .references('id').inTable('photo_categories').onDelete('CASCADE');
+    t.integer('position').notNullable().defaultTo(0);
+    t.timestamp('created_at').defaultTo(knex.fn.now());
+
+    // At most one position per (event, category).
+    t.unique(['event_id', 'category_id']);
+    // Ordered reads are always scoped to one event.
+    t.index(['event_id', 'position']);
+  });
+};
+
+exports.down = async function (knex) {
+  if (await knex.schema.hasTable('event_category_order')) {
+    await knex.schema.dropTable('event_category_order');
+  }
+};

backend/src/routes/adminCategories.js

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const { db, logActivity } = require('../database/db');
 const { formatBoolean } = require('../utils/dbCompat');
 const { adminAuth } = require('../middleware/auth');
 const { requirePermission } = require('../middleware/permissions');
+const { getEventCategoriesOrdered } = require('../utils/categoryOrder');
 const logger = require('../utils/logger');
 const router = express.Router();
 
@@ -12,8 +13,9 @@ router.get('/global', adminAuth, requirePermission('settings.view'), async (req,
   try {
     const categories = await db('photo_categories')
       .where('is_global', formatBoolean(true))
+      .orderBy('display_order', 'asc')
       .orderBy('name', 'asc');
-    
+
     res.json(categories);
   } catch (error) {
     logger.error('Error fetching categories:', error);
@@ -21,19 +23,12 @@ router.get('/global', adminAuth, requirePermission('settings.view'), async (req,
   }
 });
 
-// Get categories for a specific event (global + event-specific)
+// Get categories for a specific event (global + event-specific), resolved to
+// the event's effective order: per-event override, else global default, else
+// name (#782). Each row carries `override_position` (null when not customised).
 router.get('/event/:eventId', adminAuth, requirePermission('settings.view'), async (req, res) => {
   try {
-    const { eventId } = req.params;
-    
-    const categories = await db('photo_categories')
-      .where(function() {
-        this.where('is_global', formatBoolean(true))
-          .orWhere('event_id', eventId);
-      })
-      .orderBy('is_global', 'desc')
-      .orderBy('name', 'asc');
-    
+    const categories = await getEventCategoriesOrdered(req.params.eventId);
     res.json(categories);
   } catch (error) {
     logger.error('Error fetching event categories:', error);
@@ -81,12 +76,27 @@ router.post('/', adminAuth, requirePermission('settings.edit'), [
       return res.status(400).json({ error: 'Category with this slug already exists' });
     }
     
+    // Append to the end of its scope so a new category doesn't jump to the
+    // top of an admin-defined order (#782).
+    const maxRow = await db('photo_categories')
+      .where(function() {
+        if (is_global) {
+          this.where('is_global', formatBoolean(true));
+        } else {
+          this.where('event_id', event_id);
+        }
+      })
+      .max('display_order as maxOrder')
+      .first();
+    const nextOrder = (maxRow?.maxOrder || 0) + 1;
+
     // Create category
     const insertResult = await db('photo_categories').insert({
       name,
       slug: categorySlug,
       is_global,
-      event_id: is_global ? null : event_id
+      event_id: is_global ? null : event_id,
+      display_order: nextOrder
     }).returning('id');
     
     const categoryId = insertResult[0]?.id || insertResult[0];
@@ -254,4 +264,119 @@ router.delete('/:id', adminAuth, requirePermission('settings.edit'), async (req,
   }
 });
 
+// Set a per-event category order override (#782). The client sends the full
+// ordered id list for THIS event — globals + event-specific, interleaved — and
+// we replace the event's override rows in one transaction. This overrides the
+// global default order for this gallery only.
+router.post('/reorder', adminAuth, requirePermission('settings.edit'), [
+  body('event_id').isInt().withMessage('event_id must be an integer'),
+  body('orderedIds').isArray({ min: 1 }).withMessage('orderedIds must be a non-empty array'),
+  body('orderedIds.*').isInt().withMessage('Each id must be an integer')
+], async (req, res) => {
+  try {
+    const errors = validationResult(req);
+    if (!errors.isEmpty()) {
+      return res.status(400).json({ errors: errors.array() });
+    }
+
+    const eventId = parseInt(req.body.event_id, 10);
+    const orderedIds = req.body.orderedIds.map((id) => parseInt(id, 10));
+
+    // Every id must be a category available to this event: a shared global OR
+    // one of the event's own categories. Anything else is out of scope.
+    const available = await db('photo_categories')
+      .where(function() {
+        this.where('is_global', formatBoolean(true)).orWhere('event_id', eventId);
+      })
+      .pluck('id');
+    const availableSet = new Set(available);
+    const invalid = orderedIds.filter((id) => !availableSet.has(id));
+    if (invalid.length > 0) {
+      return res.status(400).json({ error: 'One or more categories are not available for this event' });
+    }
+
+    await db.transaction(async (trx) => {
+      await trx('event_category_order').where('event_id', eventId).del();
+      await trx('event_category_order').insert(
+        orderedIds.map((id, i) => ({ event_id: eventId, category_id: id, position: i + 1 }))
+      );
+    });
+
+    // Log activity after commit (avoids a SQLite in-transaction global write).
+    await logActivity('event_category_order_set',
+      { eventId, count: orderedIds.length },
+      eventId,
+      { type: 'admin', id: req.admin.id, name: req.admin.username }
+    );
+
+    res.json(await getEventCategoriesOrdered(eventId));
+  } catch (error) {
+    logger.error('Error reordering categories:', error);
+    res.status(500).json({ error: 'Failed to reorder categories' });
+  }
+});
+
+// Clear an event's override — revert this gallery to the global default order.
+router.delete('/reorder/:eventId', adminAuth, requirePermission('settings.edit'), async (req, res) => {
+  try {
+    const eventId = parseInt(req.params.eventId, 10);
+    await db('event_category_order').where('event_id', eventId).del();
+
+    await logActivity('event_category_order_reset',
+      { eventId },
+      eventId,
+      { type: 'admin', id: req.admin.id, name: req.admin.username }
+    );
+
+    res.json(await getEventCategoriesOrdered(eventId));
+  } catch (error) {
+    logger.error('Error resetting category order:', error);
+    res.status(500).json({ error: 'Failed to reset category order' });
+  }
+});
+
+// Set the GLOBAL default order for shared (global) categories (#782). Applies
+// to every gallery that hasn't set its own override. Rewrites display_order.
+router.post('/reorder-global', adminAuth, requirePermission('settings.edit'), [
+  body('orderedIds').isArray({ min: 1 }).withMessage('orderedIds must be a non-empty array'),
+  body('orderedIds.*').isInt().withMessage('Each id must be an integer')
+], async (req, res) => {
+  try {
+    const errors = validationResult(req);
+    if (!errors.isEmpty()) {
+      return res.status(400).json({ errors: errors.array() });
+    }
+
+    const orderedIds = req.body.orderedIds.map((id) => parseInt(id, 10));
+
+    const globals = await db('photo_categories').where('is_global', formatBoolean(true)).pluck('id');
+    const globalsSet = new Set(globals);
+    const invalid = orderedIds.filter((id) => !globalsSet.has(id));
+    if (invalid.length > 0) {
+      return res.status(400).json({ error: 'One or more categories are not global' });
+    }
+
+    await db.transaction(async (trx) => {
+      for (let i = 0; i < orderedIds.length; i += 1) {
+        await trx('photo_categories').where('id', orderedIds[i]).update({ display_order: i + 1 });
+      }
+    });
+
+    await logActivity('global_category_order_set',
+      { count: orderedIds.length },
+      null,
+      { type: 'admin', id: req.admin.id, name: req.admin.username }
+    );
+
+    const categories = await db('photo_categories')
+      .where('is_global', formatBoolean(true))
+      .orderBy('display_order', 'asc')
+      .orderBy('name', 'asc');
+    res.json(categories);
+  } catch (error) {
+    logger.error('Error reordering global categories:', error);
+    res.status(500).json({ error: 'Failed to reorder global categories' });
+  }
+});
+
 module.exports = router;

backend/src/routes/gallery.js

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ const { generateGuestIdentifier } = require('../middleware/feedbackRateLimit');
 const secureImageService = require('../services/secureImageService');
 const logger = require('../utils/logger');
 const { resolvePhotoFilePath } = require('../services/photoResolver');
+const { getEventCategoriesOrdered } = require('../utils/categoryOrder');
 const { getEventShareToken, resolveShareIdentifier, buildShareLinkVariants } = require('../services/shareLinkService');
 const { handleAsync, errorResponse } = require('../utils/routeHelpers');
 const { NotFoundError } = require('../utils/errors');
@@ -587,10 +588,12 @@ router.get('/:slug/photos', verifyGalleryAccess, resolveGuest, async (req, res)
     // Fetch category details from photo_categories table
     let categories = [];
     if (usedCategoryIds.length > 0) {
-      const categoryDetails = await db('photo_categories')
-        .whereIn('id', usedCategoryIds)
-        .select('id', 'name', 'slug', 'is_global', 'hero_photo_id', 'allow_downloads')
-        .orderBy('name', 'asc');
+      // Resolved category order (#782): per-event override, else global
+      // default, else name — restricted to categories that have photos.
+      const categoryDetails = await getEventCategoriesOrdered(req.event.id, {
+        onlyIds: usedCategoryIds,
+        select: ['c.id', 'c.name', 'c.slug', 'c.is_global', 'c.hero_photo_id', 'c.allow_downloads'],
+      });
 
       categories = categoryDetails.map(cat => ({
         id: cat.id,

backend/src/utils/categoryOrder.js

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/**
+ * Category order resolution (#782).
+ *
+ * Resolves an event's categories into their effective display order, layering:
+ *   1. per-event override — event_category_order.position, when the event has
+ *      been customised;
+ *   2. the global default — photo_categories.display_order (migration 158);
+ *   3. name.
+ *
+ * Globals and event-specific categories are ordered together so a custom order
+ * can interleave them into the flow of the day. Shared by the admin event view
+ * and the public gallery so the two never diverge.
+ */
+const { db } = require('../database/db');
+const { formatBoolean } = require('./dbCompat');
+const { hasColumnCached } = require('./schemaCache');
+
+/**
+ * @param {number|string} eventId
+ * @param {object} [opts]
+ * @param {number[]|null} [opts.onlyIds] restrict to these category ids (the
+ *   public gallery only shows categories that actually have photos).
+ * @param {string[]|null} [opts.select] qualified columns to select (default
+ *   `c.*`). Always aliased to the `photo_categories as c` table.
+ * @returns rows with an added `override_position` (null when not customised).
+ */
+async function getEventCategoriesOrdered(eventId, { onlyIds = null, select = null } = {}) {
+  const eid = parseInt(eventId, 10);
+
+  const base = db('photo_categories as c').where(function () {
+    this.where('c.is_global', formatBoolean(true)).orWhere('c.event_id', eid);
+  });
+  if (onlyIds) base.whereIn('c.id', onlyIds);
+
+  // Fail safe: if the override table isn't present yet (half-applied migration),
+  // fall back to the global-default order so the public gallery never 500s.
+  const overrideReady = await hasColumnCached('event_category_order', 'position');
+  if (!overrideReady) {
+    return base
+      .select(select || 'c.*')
+      .orderBy('c.is_global', 'desc')
+      .orderBy('c.display_order', 'asc')
+      .orderBy('c.name', 'asc');
+  }
+
+  const cols = select ? [...select] : ['c.*'];
+  cols.push('o.position as override_position');
+
+  return base
+    .leftJoin('event_category_order as o', function () {
+      this.on('o.category_id', 'c.id').andOnVal('o.event_id', '=', eid);
+    })
+    .select(cols)
+    // Overridden categories first (in their pinned order), then the rest by the
+    // global default. CASE keeps NULL-ordering portable across SQLite + Postgres.
+    .orderByRaw('CASE WHEN o.position IS NULL THEN 1 ELSE 0 END ASC')
+    .orderBy('o.position', 'asc')
+    .orderBy('c.is_global', 'desc')
+    .orderBy('c.display_order', 'asc')
+    .orderBy('c.name', 'asc');
+}
+
+module.exports = { getEventCategoriesOrdered };