Remove ensure_permissions() and simplify check_visibility()

This commit removes the ensure_permissions() method entirely and updates
all code to use direct allowed() checks instead.

Key changes:
- Removed ensure_permissions() method from datasette/app.py
- Simplified check_visibility() to check single permissions directly
- Replaced all ensure_permissions() calls with direct allowed() checks
- Updated all check_visibility() calls to use only primary permission
- Added Forbidden import to index.py

Why this change:
- ensure_permissions() used OR logic (any permission passes) which
  conflicted with explicit denies in the config
- For example, check_visibility() called ensure_permissions() with
  ["view-database", "view-instance"] and if view-instance passed,
  it would show pages even with explicit database deny
- The new approach checks only the specific permission needed for
  each resource, respecting explicit denies

Test improvements: 64 failures → 41 failures

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

datasette/app.py

@@ -1041,79 +1041,42 @@ class Datasette:
         for hook in pm.hook.track_event(datasette=self, event=event):
             await await_me_maybe(hook)
 
-    async def ensure_permissions(
-        self,
-        actor: dict,
-        permissions: Sequence[Union[Tuple[str, Union[str, Tuple[str, str]]], str]],
-    ):
-        """
-        permissions is a list of (action, resource) tuples or 'action' strings
-
-        Raises datasette.Forbidden() if any of the checks fail
-        """
-        assert actor is None or isinstance(actor, dict), "actor must be None or a dict"
-        for permission in permissions:
-            if isinstance(permission, str):
-                action = permission
-                resource_obj = None
-            elif isinstance(permission, (tuple, list)) and len(permission) == 2:
-                action, resource = permission
-                # Convert old-style resource to Resource object
-                if isinstance(resource, str):
-                    resource_obj = DatabaseResource(database=resource)
-                elif isinstance(resource, (tuple, list)) and len(resource) == 2:
-                    resource_obj = TableResource(database=resource[0], table=resource[1])
-                else:
-                    resource_obj = None
-            else:
-                assert (
-                    False
-                ), "permission should be string or tuple of two items: {}".format(
-                    repr(permission)
-                )
-            ok = await self.allowed(
-                action=action,
-                resource=resource_obj,
-                actor=actor,
-            )
-            if ok:
-                return
-        # If we got here, none of the permissions were granted
-        # Raise Forbidden with the first action
-        first_permission = permissions[0]
-        if isinstance(first_permission, str):
-            first_action = first_permission
-        else:
-            first_action = first_permission[0]
-        raise Forbidden(first_action)
 
     async def check_visibility(
         self,
         actor: dict,
-        action: Optional[str] = None,
+        action: str,
         resource: Optional[Union[str, Tuple[str, str]]] = None,
-        permissions: Optional[
-            Sequence[Union[Tuple[str, Union[str, Tuple[str, str]]], str]]
-        ] = None,
     ):
-        """Returns (visible, private) - visible = can you see it, private = can others see it too"""
+        """
-        if permissions:
+        Check if actor can see a resource and if it's private.
-            assert (
+
-                not action and not resource
+        Returns (visible, private) tuple:
-            ), "Can't use action= or resource= with permissions="
+        - visible: bool - can the actor see it?
+        - private: bool - if visible, can anonymous users NOT see it?
+        """
+        from datasette.resources import DatabaseResource, TableResource
+
+        # Convert old-style resource to Resource object
+        if resource is None:
+            resource_obj = None
+        elif isinstance(resource, str):
+            resource_obj = DatabaseResource(database=resource)
+        elif isinstance(resource, tuple) and len(resource) == 2:
+            resource_obj = TableResource(database=resource[0], table=resource[1])
         else:
-            permissions = [(action, resource)]
+            resource_obj = None
-        try:
+
-            await self.ensure_permissions(actor, permissions)
+        # Check if actor can see it
-        except Forbidden:
+        if not await self.allowed(action=action, resource=resource_obj, actor=actor):
             return False, False
-        # User can see it, but can the anonymous user see it?
+
-        try:
+        # Check if anonymous user can see it (for "private" flag)
-            await self.ensure_permissions(None, permissions)
+        if not await self.allowed(action=action, resource=resource_obj, actor=None):
-        except Forbidden:
+            # Actor can see it but anonymous cannot - it's private
-            # It's visible but private
             return True, True
-        # It's visible to everyone
+
+        # Both actor and anonymous can see it - it's public
         return True, False
 
     async def allowed_resources_sql(

datasette/views/database.py

@@ -50,10 +50,8 @@ class DatabaseView(View):
 
         visible, private = await datasette.check_visibility(
             request.actor,
-            permissions=[
+            action="view-database",
-                ("view-database", database),
+            resource=database,
-                "view-instance",
-            ],
         )
         if not visible:
             raise Forbidden("You do not have permission to view this database")
@@ -96,11 +94,8 @@ class DatabaseView(View):
         ).values():
             query_visible, query_private = await datasette.check_visibility(
                 request.actor,
-                permissions=[
+                action="view-query",
-                    ("view-query", (database, query["name"])),
+                resource=(database, query["name"]),
-                    ("view-database", database),
-                    "view-instance",
-                ],
             )
             if query_visible:
                 canned_queries.append(dict(query, private=query_private))
@@ -370,15 +365,15 @@ async def get_tables(datasette, request, db, allowed_dict):
 
 
 async def database_download(request, datasette):
+    from datasette.resources import DatabaseResource
+
     database = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-    await datasette.ensure_permissions(
+    if not await datasette.allowed(
-        request.actor,
+        action="view-database-download",
-        [
+        resource=DatabaseResource(database=database),
-            ("view-database-download", database),
+        actor=request.actor,
-            ("view-database", database),
+    ):
-            "view-instance",
+        raise Forbidden("view-database-download")
-        ],
-    )
     try:
         db = datasette.get_database(route=database)
     except KeyError:
@@ -540,19 +535,19 @@ class QueryView(View):
             # Respect canned query permissions
             visible, private = await datasette.check_visibility(
                 request.actor,
-                permissions=[
+                action="view-query",
-                    ("view-query", (database, canned_query["name"])),
+                resource=(database, canned_query["name"]),
-                    ("view-database", database),
-                    "view-instance",
-                ],
             )
             if not visible:
                 raise Forbidden("You do not have permission to view this query")
 
         else:
-            await datasette.ensure_permissions(
+            if not await datasette.allowed(
-                request.actor, [("execute-sql", database)]
+                action="execute-sql",
-            )
+                resource=DatabaseResource(database=database),
+                actor=request.actor,
+            ):
+                raise Forbidden("execute-sql")
 
         # Flattened because of ?sql=&name1=value1&name2=value2 feature
         params = {key: request.args.get(key) for key in request.args}

datasette/views/index.py

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import json
 
+from datasette import Forbidden
 from datasette.plugins import pm
 from datasette.utils import (
     add_cors_headers,
@@ -25,7 +26,8 @@ class IndexView(BaseView):
 
     async def get(self, request):
         as_format = request.url_vars["format"]
-        await self.ds.ensure_permissions(request.actor, ["view-instance"])
+        if not await self.ds.allowed(action="view-instance", actor=request.actor):
+            raise Forbidden("view-instance")
 
         # Get all allowed databases and tables in bulk
         allowed_databases = await self.ds.allowed_resources(

datasette/views/row.py

@@ -28,11 +28,8 @@ class RowView(DataView):
         # Ensure user has permission to view this row
         visible, private = await self.ds.check_visibility(
             request.actor,
-            permissions=[
+            action="view-table",
-                ("view-table", (database, table)),
+            resource=(database, table),
-                ("view-database", database),
-                "view-instance",
-            ],
         )
         if not visible:
             raise Forbidden("You do not have permission to view this table")

datasette/views/special.py

@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ class JsonDataView(BaseView):
 
     async def get(self, request):
         if self.permission:
-            await self.ds.ensure_permissions(request.actor, [self.permission])
+            if not await self.ds.allowed(action=self.permission, actor=request.actor):
+                raise Forbidden(self.permission)
         if self.needs_request:
             data = self.data_callback(request)
         else:
@@ -54,7 +55,8 @@ class JsonDataView(BaseView):
 
 class PatternPortfolioView(View):
     async def get(self, request, datasette):
-        await datasette.ensure_permissions(request.actor, ["view-instance"])
+        if not await datasette.allowed(action="view-instance", actor=request.actor):
+            raise Forbidden("view-instance")
         return Response.html(
             await datasette.render_template(
                 "patterns.html",
@@ -112,7 +114,8 @@ class PermissionsDebugView(BaseView):
     has_json_alternate = False
 
     async def get(self, request):
-        await self.ds.ensure_permissions(request.actor, ["view-instance"])
+        if not await self.ds.allowed(action="view-instance", actor=request.actor):
+            raise Forbidden("view-instance")
         if not await self.ds.allowed(action="permissions-debug", actor=request.actor):
             raise Forbidden("Permission denied")
         filter_ = request.args.get("filter") or "all"
@@ -151,7 +154,8 @@ class PermissionsDebugView(BaseView):
         )
 
     async def post(self, request):
-        await self.ds.ensure_permissions(request.actor, ["view-instance"])
+        if not await self.ds.allowed(action="view-instance", actor=request.actor):
+            raise Forbidden("view-instance")
         if not await self.ds.allowed(action="permissions-debug", actor=request.actor):
             raise Forbidden("Permission denied")
         vars = await request.post_vars()
@@ -362,7 +366,8 @@ class PermissionRulesView(BaseView):
     has_json_alternate = False
 
     async def get(self, request):
-        await self.ds.ensure_permissions(request.actor, ["view-instance"])
+        if not await self.ds.allowed(action="view-instance", actor=request.actor):
+            raise Forbidden("view-instance")
         if not await self.ds.allowed(action="permissions-debug", actor=request.actor):
             raise Forbidden("Permission denied")
 
@@ -607,11 +612,13 @@ class MessagesDebugView(BaseView):
     has_json_alternate = False
 
     async def get(self, request):
-        await self.ds.ensure_permissions(request.actor, ["view-instance"])
+        if not await self.ds.allowed(action="view-instance", actor=request.actor):
+            raise Forbidden("view-instance")
         return await self.render(["messages_debug.html"], request)
 
     async def post(self, request):
-        await self.ds.ensure_permissions(request.actor, ["view-instance"])
+        if not await self.ds.allowed(action="view-instance", actor=request.actor):
+            raise Forbidden("view-instance")
         post = await request.post_vars()
         message = post.get("message", "")
         message_type = post.get("message_type") or "INFO"
@@ -774,7 +781,7 @@ class ApiExplorerView(BaseView):
             if name == "_internal":
                 continue
             database_visible, _ = await self.ds.check_visibility(
-                request.actor, permissions=[("view-database", name), "view-instance"]
+                request.actor, action="view-database", resource=name
             )
             if not database_visible:
                 continue
@@ -783,11 +790,8 @@ class ApiExplorerView(BaseView):
             for table in table_names:
                 visible, _ = await self.ds.check_visibility(
                     request.actor,
-                    permissions=[
+                    action="view-table",
-                        ("view-table", (name, table)),
+                    resource=(name, table),
-                        ("view-database", name),
-                        "view-instance",
-                    ],
                 )
                 if not visible:
                     continue
@@ -886,7 +890,7 @@ class ApiExplorerView(BaseView):
     async def get(self, request):
         visible, private = await self.ds.check_visibility(
             request.actor,
-            permissions=["view-instance"],
+            action="view-instance",
         )
         if not visible:
             raise Forbidden("You do not have permission to view this instance")

datasette/views/table.py

@@ -963,11 +963,8 @@ async def table_view_data(
     # Can this user view it?
     visible, private = await datasette.check_visibility(
         request.actor,
-        permissions=[
+        action="view-table",
-            ("view-table", (database_name, table_name)),
+        resource=(database_name, table_name),
-            ("view-database", database_name),
-            "view-instance",
-        ],
     )
     if not visible:
         raise Forbidden("You do not have permission to view this table")

tests/test_internals_datasette.py

@@ -85,21 +85,23 @@ ALLOW_ROOT = {"allow": {"id": "root"}}
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "actor,config,permissions,should_allow,expected_private",
+    "actor,config,action,resource,should_allow,expected_private",
     (
-        (None, ALLOW_ROOT, ["view-instance"], False, False),
+        (None, ALLOW_ROOT, "view-instance", None, False, False),
-        (ROOT, ALLOW_ROOT, ["view-instance"], True, True),
+        (ROOT, ALLOW_ROOT, "view-instance", None, True, True),
         (
             None,
             {"databases": {"_memory": ALLOW_ROOT}},
-            [("view-database", "_memory")],
+            "view-database",
+            "_memory",
             False,
             False,
         ),
         (
             ROOT,
             {"databases": {"_memory": ALLOW_ROOT}},
-            [("view-database", "_memory")],
+            "view-database",
+            "_memory",
             True,
             True,
         ),
@@ -107,24 +109,19 @@ ALLOW_ROOT = {"allow": {"id": "root"}}
         (
             ROOT,
             {"allow": True},
-            ["view-instance"],
+            "view-instance",
+            None,
             True,
             False,
         ),
     ),
 )
-async def test_datasette_ensure_permissions_check_visibility(
+async def test_datasette_check_visibility(
-    actor, config, permissions, should_allow, expected_private
+    actor, config, action, resource, should_allow, expected_private
 ):
     ds = Datasette([], memory=True, config=config)
     await ds.invoke_startup()
-    if not should_allow:
+    visible, private = await ds.check_visibility(actor, action=action, resource=resource)
-        with pytest.raises(Forbidden):
-            await ds.ensure_permissions(actor, permissions)
-    else:
-        await ds.ensure_permissions(actor, permissions)
-    # And try check_visibility too:
-    visible, private = await ds.check_visibility(actor, permissions=permissions)
     assert visible == should_allow
     assert private == expected_private