feat: Enhance boolean handling in Game Server configuration and UI for better compatibility

Author: frasermolyneux

.github/copilot-instructions.md

@@ -109,6 +109,13 @@ The `policy-resource` attribute passes a resource (typically `GameType`) to hand
 - PRs trigger dev Terraform plans automatically; prod plans require the `run-prd-plan` label.
 - Copilot and Dependabot PRs skip Terraform plans unless explicitly labeled.
 
+## Config JSON Boolean Standard
+
+- For Game Server configuration namespaces stored as JSON (`agent`, `moderation`, `events`, `broadcasts`, etc.), always serialize boolean fields as JSON booleans (`true`/`false`), never strings (`"true"`/`"false"`).
+- When reading existing configuration JSON in controllers, support legacy string booleans defensively, then preserve canonical output by re-saving as JSON booleans.
+- For Razor boolean form fields that intentionally post both hidden and checkbox values for the same property name, render the hidden `false` input before the checkbox input to ensure checked values bind correctly.
+- Add or update controller tests whenever introducing or changing bool-backed config fields to verify both canonical bool handling and legacy-string compatibility on read.
+
 ## UI Conventions (Razor Views)
 
 **Always read [docs/ui-standards-guide.md](docs/ui-standards-guide.md) before creating or modifying views.** Key rules:

src/XtremeIdiots.Portal.Web.Tests/Controllers/GameServersControllerTests.cs

@@ -140,6 +140,82 @@ public void PopulateConfigFromNamespace_BroadcastsNamespace_MapsAllFields()
         Assert.False(model.BroadcastMessages[1].Enabled);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void PopulateConfigFromNamespace_BroadcastsNamespace_ParsesStringBooleans()
+    {
+        // Arrange
+        var sut = CreateSut();
+        var method = GetPrivateInstanceMethod("PopulateConfigFromNamespace");
+        var model = new GameServerEditViewModel();
+        var config = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<ConfigurationDto>(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(new
+        {
+            Namespace = "broadcasts",
+            Configuration = """
+            {
+              "enabled": "true",
+              "intervalSeconds": 600,
+              "messages": [
+                { "message": "^1Message A", "enabled": "true" },
+                { "message": "^2Message B", "enabled": "false" }
+              ]
+            }
+            """
+        }));
+
+        // Act
+        method.Invoke(sut, [model, config]);
+
+        // Assert
+        Assert.True(model.BroadcastsEnabled);
+        Assert.Equal(600, model.BroadcastsIntervalSeconds);
+        Assert.Equal(2, model.BroadcastMessages.Count);
+        Assert.True(model.BroadcastMessages[0].Enabled);
+        Assert.False(model.BroadcastMessages[1].Enabled);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void PopulateConfigFromNamespace_ParsesStringBooleans_ForOtherConfigNamespaces()
+    {
+        // Arrange
+        var sut = CreateSut();
+        var method = GetPrivateInstanceMethod("PopulateConfigFromNamespace");
+        var model = new GameServerEditViewModel
+        {
+            GameServer = new GameServerViewModel
+            {
+                FileTransportType = FileTransportType.Ftp
+            }
+        };
+
+        var agentConfig = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<ConfigurationDto>(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(new
+        {
+            Namespace = "agent",
+            Configuration = """
+            {
+              "rconSyncEnabled": "false"
+            }
+            """
+        }));
+
+        var moderationConfig = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<ConfigurationDto>(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(new
+        {
+            Namespace = "moderation",
+            Configuration = """
+            {
+              "protectedNameEnforcementEnabled": "false"
+            }
+            """
+        }));
+
+        // Act
+        method.Invoke(sut, [model, agentConfig]);
+        method.Invoke(sut, [model, moderationConfig]);
+
+        // Assert
+        Assert.False(model.AgentConfigRconSyncEnabled);
+        Assert.False(model.ModerationProtectedNameEnforcementEnabled);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task SaveConfigNamespacesAsync_AgentEnabled_UpsertsBroadcastsContract()
     {

src/XtremeIdiots.Portal.Web/Controllers/GameServersController.cs

@@ -704,10 +704,10 @@ private static bool GetBoolProperty(JsonElement root, string propertyName, bool
             {
                 JsonValueKind.True => true,
                 JsonValueKind.False => false,
+                JsonValueKind.String when bool.TryParse(prop.GetString(), out var parsedBool) => parsedBool,
                 JsonValueKind.Undefined => defaultValue,
                 JsonValueKind.Object => defaultValue,
                 JsonValueKind.Array => defaultValue,
-                JsonValueKind.String => defaultValue,
                 JsonValueKind.Number => defaultValue,
                 JsonValueKind.Null => defaultValue,
                 _ => defaultValue

src/XtremeIdiots.Portal.Web/Views/GameServers/ConfigurationSections/_BroadcastsConfiguration.cshtml

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
                 <div class="border rounded p-3 mb-3" data-broadcast-row>
                     <div class="d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center mb-2">
                         <div class="form-check form-switch mb-0">
+                            <input type="hidden" data-field="enabled-hidden" name="BroadcastMessages[@i].Enabled" value="false" />
                             @if (broadcastMessages[i].Enabled)
                             {
                                 <input class="form-check-input" data-field="enabled" type="checkbox" name="BroadcastMessages[@i].Enabled" value="true" id="BroadcastMessages_@(i)__Enabled" checked="checked" />
@@ -50,7 +51,6 @@
                             {
                                 <input class="form-check-input" data-field="enabled" type="checkbox" name="BroadcastMessages[@i].Enabled" value="true" id="BroadcastMessages_@(i)__Enabled" />
                             }
-                            <input type="hidden" data-field="enabled-hidden" name="BroadcastMessages[@i].Enabled" value="false" />
                             <label class="form-check-label" data-field="enabled-label" for="BroadcastMessages_@(i)__Enabled">Enabled</label>
                         </div>
                         <div class="btn-group btn-group-sm" role="group" aria-label="Broadcast message ordering">
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@
     <div class="border rounded p-3 mb-3" data-broadcast-row>
         <div class="d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center mb-2">
             <div class="form-check form-switch mb-0">
-                <input class="form-check-input" data-field="enabled" type="checkbox" value="true" checked="checked" />
                 <input type="hidden" data-field="enabled-hidden" value="false" />
+                <input class="form-check-input" data-field="enabled" type="checkbox" value="true" checked="checked" />
                 <label class="form-check-label" data-field="enabled-label">Enabled</label>
             </div>
             <div class="btn-group btn-group-sm" role="group" aria-label="Broadcast message ordering">