DEV: Allow a simplier way to register a link under sidebar topics section (#16916)

app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/plugin-api.js

@@ -1634,11 +1634,15 @@ class PluginApi {
    * api.addTopicsSectionLink((baseSectionLink) => {
    *   return class CustomSectionLink extends baseSectionLink {
    *     get name() {
-   *       returns "bookmarked"
+   *       returns "bookmarked";
    *     }
    *
    *     get route() {
-   *       returns "userActivity.bookmarks"
+   *       returns "userActivity.bookmarks";
+   *     }
+   *
+   *     get model() {
+   *       return this.currentUser;
    *     }
    *
    *     get title() {
@@ -1652,14 +1656,29 @@ class PluginApi {
    * })
    * ```
    *
-   * @callback addTopicsSectionLinkCallback
-   * @param {BaseSectionLink} baseSectionLink Factory class to inherit from.
-   * @returns {BaseSectionLink} A class that extends BaseSectionLink.
+   * or
    *
-   * @param {addTopicsSectionLinkCallback} callback
+   * ```
+   * api.addTopicsSectionLink({
+   *   name: "unread",
+   *   route: "discovery.unread",
+   *   title: I18n.t("some.unread.title"),
+   *   text: I18n.t("some.unread.text")
+   * })
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @callback addTopicsSectionLinkCallback
+   * @param {BaseSectionLink} baseSectionLink - Factory class to inherit from.
+   * @returns {BaseSectionLink} - A class that extends BaseSectionLink.
+   *
+   * @param {(addTopicsSectionLinkCallback|Object)} arg - A callback function or an Object.
+   * @param {string} arg.name - The name of the link. Needs to be dasherized and lowercase.
+   * @param {string} arg.route - The Ember route of the link.
+   * @param {string} arg.title - The title attribute for the link.
+   * @param {string} arg.text - The text to display for the link.
    */
-  async addTopicsSectionLink(callback) {
-    addSectionLink(callback);
+  addTopicsSectionLink(arg) {
+    addSectionLink(arg);
   }
 }
 

app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/custom-topics-section-links.js

@@ -8,10 +8,36 @@ export let customSectionLinks = [];
  * @param {BaseSectionLink} baseSectionLink Factory class to inherit from.
  * @returns {BaseSectionLink} A class that extends BaseSectionLink.
  *
- * @param {addTopicsSectionLinkCallback} callback
+ * @param {(addTopicsSectionLinkCallback|Object)} arg - A callback function or an Object.
+ * @param {string} arg.name - The name of the link. Needs to be dasherized and lowercase.
+ * @param {string} arg.route - The Ember route of the link.
+ * @param {string} arg.title - The title attribute for the link.
+ * @param {string} arg.text - The text to display for the link.
  */
-export function addSectionLink(callback) {
-  customSectionLinks.push(callback.call(this, BaseSectionLink));
+export function addSectionLink(arg) {
+  if (typeof arg === "function") {
+    customSectionLinks.push(arg.call(this, BaseSectionLink));
+  } else {
+    const klass = class extends BaseSectionLink {
+      get name() {
+        return arg.name;
+      }
+
+      get route() {
+        return arg.route;
+      }
+
+      get text() {
+        return arg.text;
+      }
+
+      get title() {
+        return arg.title;
+      }
+    };
+
+    customSectionLinks.push(klass);
+  }
 }
 
 export function resetDefaultSectionLinks() {

app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/topics-section/base-section-link.js

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export default class BaseSectionLink {
   }
 
   /**
-   * @returns {string} The name of the section link
+   * @returns {string} The name of the section link. Needs to be dasherized and lowercase.
    */
   get name() {
     this._notImplemented();

app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/sidebar-topics-section-test.js

@@ -410,7 +410,40 @@ acceptance("Sidebar - Topics Section", function (needs) {
   );
 
   conditionalTest(
-    "adding section link via plugin API",
+    "adding section link via plugin API with Object",
+    !isLegacyEmber(),
+    async function (assert) {
+      withPluginApi("1.2.0", (api) => {
+        api.addTopicsSectionLink({
+          name: "unread",
+          route: "discovery.unread",
+          text: "unread topics",
+          title: "List of unread topics",
+        });
+      });
+
+      await visit("/");
+
+      assert.strictEqual(
+        query(".sidebar-section-link-unread").textContent.trim(),
+        "unread topics",
+        "displays the right text for the link"
+      );
+
+      assert.strictEqual(
+        query(".sidebar-section-link-unread").title,
+        "List of unread topics",
+        "displays the right title for the link"
+      );
+
+      await click(".sidebar-section-link-unread");
+
+      assert.strictEqual(currentURL(), "/unread", "links to the right URL");
+    }
+  );
+
+  conditionalTest(
+    "adding section link via plugin API with callback function",
     !isLegacyEmber(),
     async function (assert) {
       withPluginApi("1.2.0", (api) => {