feat(catalogue): add public collections endpoint api

[RaymondC-tech]

Summary

Implements public-facing read-only API endpoints for the collection catalogue. Allows public users to browse and search collection items without authentication.

Related Issues

• Closes Implement Public Read-Only Endpoints for Collection Catalog #8

Changes

• Added PublicCollectionItemSerializer with nested location data
• Created PublicCollectionItemViewSet with filtering and search capabilities
• Added URL routing for /api/public/items/ endpoints
• Implemented filtering by platform and is_on_floor
• Added text search across title, description, and item_code
• Excluded items where is_public_visible=False
• Added unit tests to API using Django's TestCase
• Added documentation for api use

How to Test

1. Start the backend server:sh
   cd backend
   source venv/bin/activate
2. Run tests:
   pytest inventory/tests.py

Checklist

• Public can view items and filter/search correctly
• Hidden items never appear
• Pagination and search work smoothly

[vivjd]

Overall looks like a good start! In addition to the other comment, two other things I think would be great to have:

• add copilot as a reviewer to see if there are any suggestions/fixes that are worth considering
• The PR description mentions tests can be run with python manage.py test inventory.tests, but I don't seem to see those tests included in this PR. It would be great to add them so we have proper test coverage!

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

This PR implements a public-facing, read-only REST API for browsing the collection catalogue without authentication. It addresses issue #8 by creating endpoints that allow public users to search, filter, and view collection items that are marked as publicly visible.

Key Changes:

• Added public API endpoints at /api/public/items/ with comprehensive filtering (platform, is_on_floor) and text search capabilities
• Implemented nested location serialization to include location details in collection item responses
• Added extensive test coverage with 19 test cases covering various scenarios including filtering, search, pagination, and access control

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 6 out of 6 changed files in this pull request and generated 6 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
backend/inventory/views.py	Implements PublicCollectionItemViewSet with read-only access, custom filtering by platform and is_on_floor, and search functionality across title, description, and item_code
backend/inventory/serializers.py	Adds PublicCollectionItemSerializer and LocationSerializer to expose appropriate fields for public consumption with nested location data
backend/inventory/urls.py	Configures DRF router for public collection item endpoints
backend/core/urls.py	Integrates inventory URLs into the main API routing
backend/inventory/tests.py	Comprehensive test suite covering list/detail endpoints, filtering, search, authentication requirements, pagination, and edge cases
.github/workflows/backend-ci.yml	Adds SECRET_KEY environment variable required for Django operations in CI

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