Exporting Tests as ZIP Archives

Based on docs/spec/export-test-to-zip.md. This is the canonical example used throughout this documentation (see Adding a New Feature End-to-End) because it's a real, fully-shipped feature (per RELEASES.md 1.0.0-beta.8).

What it is

An Export action in the Content Library's 3-dot menu, positioned between Edit and Delete, for Reading, Writing, and Listening tests. It downloads the test as a .zip containing the test's JSON definition plus any linked media (images, audio).

User journey

1. Admin navigates to Content Library.
2. Admin clicks the 3-dot menu (...) on a test row.
3. A dropdown shows Edit, Export, Delete (in that order).
4. Admin clicks Export.
5. The backend build_export (src/core/src/services/export_service.rs) assembles the JSON definition and collects any linked media files referenced by that test.
6. A native Save As dialog opens (via tauri-plugin-dialog) so the admin chooses where to save the file.
7. The zip is written to the chosen path.
8. exportTestToZip() (src/ui/lib/tauri.ts) returns an ExportResult, or null if the admin cancels the save dialog:

export interface ExportResult {
  filePath: string;
  fileName: string;
  warnings: string[];
}

export async function exportTestToZip(
  userId: string,
  kind: ImportKind,
  id: string
): Promise<ExportResult | null> {
  return invoke<ExportResult | null>("export_test_to_zip", { userId, kind, id });
}

Zip layout

The generated filename follows ielts-{module}-{slug}_export.zip (e.g. ielts-listening-airport-chatter_export.zip), and contents are nested inside a matching slug-named folder:

ielts-listening-airport-chatter_export/
├── airport_chatter.json     # slug with underscores, Import Dataset-compatible schema
└── media/
    └── section-1.mp3        # any linked audio/image files

The slugify() helper (src/core/src/services/export_service.rs) lowercases the title, replaces non-alphanumeric runs with dashes, and truncates to 60 characters — falling back to "untitled" if the title has no alphanumeric characters at all.

Edge cases

Case	Behavior
No media attached	Zip contains only the JSON file — no errors, no empty media/ folder implied as "missing"
Missing/broken media reference	Export still completes; warnings includes an entry like "missing.mp3" rather than failing the whole export
Large files	Should show a progress indicator in the UI while zip creation is in progress
Draft vs. Published tests	Both are exportable — no status restriction
Round-trip guarantee	An exported zip can be re-imported via Import Dataset with no manual edits, reproducing an identical test

Authorization rule

Exporting a draft test as a non-owner returns a "not found" error rather than leaking the draft's content — confirmed by it_returns_not_found_when_a_non_owner_exports_a_draft_test in src/core/tests/services/export_service_test.rs. This mirrors the same ownership pattern used for reading/updating test rows in general (see Creating & Publishing Test Content): a row is visible if you own it, or if it's published.

Acceptance criteria (verbatim from docs/spec/export-test-to-zip.md)

• A working Export option appears in the 3-dot menu, positioned between Edit and Delete, for every content type (Reading, Writing, Listening).
• Clicking Export produces a downloadable .zip file without requiring additional user input.
• The .zip always contains a valid .json file matching the Import Dataset schema.
• If the test has media resources, they are included in the .zip and correctly referenced/linked within the JSON.
• If the test has no media resources, the .zip contains only the JSON with no errors.
• A .zip exported from the app can be re-imported via Import Dataset without any manual edits, and results in an identical test being created/restored.
• Draft and Published tests can both be exported successfully.
• The admin receives clear feedback on success (confirmation) and on partial issues (e.g., missing media file warnings).
• Exporting a large test (many questions/large audio) does not crash or freeze the app; a loading/progress state is shown.
• Filenames are safe, descriptive, and don't overwrite existing files unexpectedly.

See Feature Spec: Export Test to ZIP for the full original product plan (problem statement, use cases, edge cases, and future extensions).