Add option to ingore channels in help categories

As we want to add an "informational" channel to the `Python Help: Available` category, we need to make sure that the Help Channel System ignores that channel.

To do that, I've added an `is_excluded_channel` staticmethod that returns `True` if a channel is not a TextChannel or if it's in a special EXCLUDED_CHANNELS constant. This method is then used in the method that yields help channels from a category and in the `on_message` event listener that determines if a channel should be moved from `Available` to `Occupied`.

3 files changed, 14 insertions, 3 deletions

diff --git a/bot/cogs/help_channels.py b/bot/cogs/help_channels.py
index 3dea3b013..7aeaa2194 100644
--- a/bot/cogs/help_channels.py
+++ b/bot/cogs/help_channels.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import discord
+import discord.abc
 from discord.ext import commands
 
 from bot import constants
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 ASKING_GUIDE_URL = "https://pythondiscord.com/pages/asking-good-questions/"
 MAX_CHANNELS_PER_CATEGORY = 50
+EXCLUDED_CHANNELS = (constants.Channels.how_to_get_help,)
 
 AVAILABLE_TOPIC = """
 This channel is available. Feel free to ask a question in order to claim this channel!
@@ -283,13 +285,18 @@ class HelpChannels(Scheduler, commands.Cog):
 
         return name
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def is_excluded_channel(channel: discord.abc.GuildChannel) -> bool:
+        """Check if a channel should be excluded from the help channel system."""
+        return not isinstance(channel, discord.TextChannel) or channel.id in EXCLUDED_CHANNELS
+
     def get_category_channels(self, category: discord.CategoryChannel) -> t.Iterable[discord.TextChannel]:
         """Yield the text channels of the `category` in an unsorted manner."""
         log.trace(f"Getting text channels in the category '{category}' ({category.id}).")
 
         # This is faster than using category.channels because the latter sorts them.
         for channel in self.bot.get_guild(constants.Guild.id).channels:
-            if channel.category_id == category.id and isinstance(channel, discord.TextChannel):
+            if channel.category_id == category.id and not self.is_excluded_channel(channel):
                 yield channel
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -670,8 +677,8 @@ class HelpChannels(Scheduler, commands.Cog):
 
         await self.check_for_answer(message)
 
-        if not self.is_in_category(channel, constants.Categories.help_available):
-            return  # Ignore messages outside the Available category.
+        if not self.is_in_category(channel, constants.Categories.help_available) or self.is_excluded_channel(channel):
+            return  # Ignore messages outside the Available category or in excluded channels.
 
         log.trace("Waiting for the cog to be ready before processing messages.")
         await self.ready.wait()
diff --git a/bot/constants.py b/bot/constants.py
index 49098c9f2..a00b59505 100644
--- a/bot/constants.py
+++ b/bot/constants.py
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ class Channels(metaclass=YAMLGetter):
     dev_log: int
     esoteric: int
     helpers: int
+    how_to_get_help: int
     message_log: int
     meta: int
     mod_alerts: int
diff --git a/config-default.yml b/config-default.yml
index b0165adf6..78a2ff853 100644
--- a/config-default.yml
+++ b/config-default.yml
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ guild:
         meta:               429409067623251969
         python_discussion:  267624335836053506
 
+        # Python Help: Available
+        how_to_get_help:    704250143020417084
+
         # Logs
         attachment_log:     &ATTACH_LOG     649243850006855680
         message_log:        &MESSAGE_LOG    467752170159079424