Improve monitor channel handling by adding support for quoted values

- Introduced `strip_optional_quotes` function to handle monitor channel values with optional surrounding quotes.
- Updated `load_monitor_channels` method in `CommandManager` to utilize the new function, ensuring compatibility with quoted and unquoted channel configurations.
- Modified `generate_samples` function to apply the same logic for consistency.
- Added tests for `strip_optional_quotes` to validate behavior with various input cases.

generate_website.py

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ try:
     from modules.plugin_loader import PluginLoader
     from modules.db_manager import DBManager
     from modules.utils import resolve_path
+    from modules.config_validation import strip_optional_quotes
 except ImportError as e:
     print("Error: Missing required dependencies.")
     print(f"Details: {e}")
@@ -2449,8 +2450,8 @@ def generate_samples(config_file):
     title = get_website_title(config)
     introduction = get_website_intro(config)
 
-    # Get monitor channels
-    monitor_channels_str = config.get('Channels', 'monitor_channels', fallback='')
+    # Get monitor channels (quoted or unquoted)
+    monitor_channels_str = strip_optional_quotes(config.get('Channels', 'monitor_channels', fallback=''))
     monitor_channels = [ch.strip() for ch in monitor_channels_str.split(',') if ch.strip()]
 
     # Load channels from config
@@ -2678,8 +2679,8 @@ def main():
         introduction = get_website_intro(config)
         title = get_website_title(config)
         
-        # Get monitor channels for channel restriction display
-        monitor_channels_str = config.get('Channels', 'monitor_channels', fallback='')
+        # Get monitor channels for channel restriction display (quoted or unquoted)
+        monitor_channels_str = strip_optional_quotes(config.get('Channels', 'monitor_channels', fallback=''))
         monitor_channels = [ch.strip() for ch in monitor_channels_str.split(',') if ch.strip()]
         
         # Load channels from Channels_List section

modules/command_manager.py

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from .models import MeshMessage
 from .plugin_loader import PluginLoader
 from .commands.base_command import BaseCommand
 from .utils import check_internet_connectivity_async, decode_escape_sequences, format_keyword_response_with_placeholders
+from .config_validation import strip_optional_quotes
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -423,8 +424,11 @@ class CommandManager:
         return any(sender_id.startswith(entry) for entry in self.banned_users)
     
     def load_monitor_channels(self) -> List[str]:
-        """Load monitored channels from config"""
-        channels = self.bot.config.get('Channels', 'monitor_channels', fallback='')
+        """Load monitored channels from config.
+        Values may be quoted, e.g. \"#bot,#bot-everett,#bots\" or unquoted.
+        """
+        raw = self.bot.config.get('Channels', 'monitor_channels', fallback='')
+        channels = strip_optional_quotes(raw)
         return [channel.strip() for channel in channels.split(',') if channel.strip()]
     
     def load_channel_keywords(self) -> Optional[List[str]]:

modules/config_validation.py

@@ -56,6 +56,21 @@ ADMIN_ACL_SECTION = "Admin_ACL"        # admin commands disabled
 BANNED_USERS_SECTION = "Banned_Users"   # empty banned list
 LOCALIZATION_SECTION = "Localization"   # language=en, translation_path=translations/
 
+def strip_optional_quotes(s: str) -> str:
+    """Strip one layer of surrounding double or single quotes if present.
+
+    Allows config values like monitor_channels to be written as
+    "#bot,#bot-everett,#bots" so the list does not look like comments.
+    Backward compatible: unquoted values are returned unchanged.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(s, str):
+        return s
+    s = s.strip()
+    if len(s) >= 2 and s[0] == s[-1] and s[0] in '"\'':
+        return s[1:-1]
+    return s
+
+
 # Non-standard section name -> suggested canonical name (exact match)
 SECTION_TYPO_MAP = {
     "WebViewer": "Web_Viewer",

tests/test_command_manager.py

@@ -163,6 +163,12 @@ class TestLoadMonitorChannels:
         manager = make_manager(cm_bot)
         assert manager.monitor_channels == []
 
+    def test_load_monitor_channels_quoted(self, cm_bot):
+        """Quoted monitor_channels (e.g. \"#bot,#bot-everett,#bots\") is supported."""
+        cm_bot.config.set("Channels", "monitor_channels", '"#bot,#bot-everett,#bots"')
+        manager = make_manager(cm_bot)
+        assert manager.monitor_channels == ["#bot", "#bot-everett", "#bots"]
+
 
 class TestLoadChannelKeywords:
     """Tests for channel keyword whitelist loading."""

tests/test_config_validation.py

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from modules.config_validation import (
     SEVERITY_ERROR,
     SEVERITY_INFO,
     SEVERITY_WARNING,
+    strip_optional_quotes,
     validate_config,
     _resolve_path,
     _check_path_writable,
@@ -15,6 +16,31 @@ from modules.config_validation import (
 )
 
 
+class TestStripOptionalQuotes:
+    """Tests for strip_optional_quotes (monitor_channels and similar config values)."""
+
+    def test_unquoted_unchanged(self):
+        assert strip_optional_quotes("#bot,#bot-everett,#bots") == "#bot,#bot-everett,#bots"
+        assert strip_optional_quotes("general,test") == "general,test"
+
+    def test_double_quoted_stripped(self):
+        assert strip_optional_quotes('"#bot,#bot-everett,#bots"') == "#bot,#bot-everett,#bots"
+
+    def test_single_quoted_stripped(self):
+        assert strip_optional_quotes("'#bot,#bot-everett,#bots'") == "#bot,#bot-everett,#bots"
+
+    def test_empty_and_whitespace(self):
+        assert strip_optional_quotes("") == ""
+        assert strip_optional_quotes("  ") == ""
+
+    def test_mismatched_quotes_not_stripped(self):
+        assert strip_optional_quotes('"#bot,#bots\'') == '"#bot,#bots\''
+        assert strip_optional_quotes('\'#bot,#bots"') == '\'#bot,#bots"'
+
+    def test_single_char_quoted_stripped(self):
+        assert strip_optional_quotes('"a"') == "a"
+
+
 class TestValidateConfig:
     """Tests for validate_config()."""