feat(gallery): sort by earliest post date across all posts (new default)

The gallery's newest/oldest sort keys off image_record.effective_date =
COALESCE(primary post's post_date, created_at). The primary post is often the
repost/download the file came from, so the grid led with download dates rather
than when content was first posted (operator-flagged).

Add a second materialized sort key, earliest_post_date = MIN(post_date) across
ALL of an image's provenance posts (every post it appears in), else created_at —
the original publish date. Mirrors the effective_date pattern so the sort stays a
forward index scan.

- alembic 0071: add earliest_post_date + index (DESC, id DESC); backfill
  created_at baseline then MIN over image_provenance ⋈ post.
- importer: recompute earliest_post_date whenever a dated post is linked (MIN over
  the image's provenance, which now includes the just-added row).
- gallery_service: new sorts posted_new / posted_old key off earliest_post_date;
  cursor + year/month grouping follow the active column transparently.
- api: accept posted_new|posted_old; DEFAULT is now posted_new so the grid leads
  with original publish date. newest/oldest (effective_date) still available.
- frontend: sort dropdown gains "Newest/Oldest post date" (default Newest post
  date); existing effective-date sorts relabelled "Newest/Oldest added".
- tests: service test asserts posted_new/posted_old key off earliest_post_date;
  frontend default-sort omission test updated.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Ttrj5P7upUTueSfoJcxEqa

alembic/versions/0071_image_record_earliest_post_date.py

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+"""image_record.earliest_post_date: original-publish gallery sort key + index
+
+Revision ID: 0071
+Revises: 0070
+Create Date: 2026-07-01
+
+effective_date (0035) keys off the PRIMARY post — which is often the repost /
+download the file actually came from — and falls back to created_at, so the
+gallery's default order surfaces download dates rather than when content was
+first posted (operator-flagged 2026-07-01). Materialize a second sort key,
+earliest_post_date = MIN(post_date) across ALL of an image's provenance posts
+(every post it appears in), falling back to created_at only when no linked post
+carries a date. Indexed (DESC, id DESC) so the "post date" gallery sort is an
+index range scan just like effective_date.
+
+Backfill mirrors 0035: created_at baseline, then override with the MIN over
+image_provenance ⋈ post. New rows get the created_at-equivalent server default;
+services/importer.py recomputes it whenever a dated post is linked.
+"""
+from typing import Sequence, Union
+
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+from alembic import op
+
+revision: str = "0071"
+down_revision: Union[str, None] = "0070"
+branch_labels: Union[str, Sequence[str], None] = None
+depends_on: Union[str, Sequence[str], None] = None
+
+
+def upgrade() -> None:
+    # Add nullable first so the backfill can populate before NOT NULL.
+    op.add_column(
+        "image_record",
+        sa.Column("earliest_post_date", sa.DateTime(timezone=True), nullable=True),
+    )
+    # Baseline: download date. Set-based (no per-row binds) → immune to the
+    # 65535 bind-parameter ceiling regardless of library size.
+    op.execute(
+        """
+        UPDATE image_record
+        SET earliest_post_date = created_at
+        """
+    )
+    # Override with the earliest post_date across EVERY post the image appears
+    # in (image_provenance is the many-to-many edge; ignore posts with no date).
+    op.execute(
+        """
+        UPDATE image_record AS ir
+        SET earliest_post_date = sub.min_date
+        FROM (
+            SELECT ip.image_record_id AS iid, MIN(p.post_date) AS min_date
+            FROM image_provenance AS ip
+            JOIN post AS p ON p.id = ip.post_id
+            WHERE p.post_date IS NOT NULL
+            GROUP BY ip.image_record_id
+        ) AS sub
+        WHERE ir.id = sub.iid
+        """
+    )
+    op.alter_column(
+        "image_record",
+        "earliest_post_date",
+        nullable=False,
+        server_default=sa.text("now()"),
+    )
+    # DESC/DESC matches the gallery's ORDER BY earliest_post_date DESC, id DESC
+    # so the "post date" scroll is a forward index scan; raw SQL because
+    # alembic's column list doesn't express per-column DESC cleanly.
+    op.execute(
+        "CREATE INDEX ix_image_record_earliest_post_date "
+        "ON image_record (earliest_post_date DESC, id DESC)"
+    )
+
+
+def downgrade() -> None:
+    op.drop_index(
+        "ix_image_record_earliest_post_date", table_name="image_record"
+    )
+    op.drop_column("image_record", "earliest_post_date")

backend/app/api/gallery.py

@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ def _parse_filters():
       the image must match at least one tag from EACH group (groups ANDed).
     - `tag_not` is a comma-separated exclude list (image must carry none).
 
-    `media` is image|video; `sort` is newest|oldest; `platform` selects one
+    `media` is image|video; `sort` is newest|oldest|posted_new|posted_old
+    (default posted_new); `platform` selects one
     platform (or the UNSOURCED_PLATFORM sentinel); `untagged`/`no_artist` are
     boolean flags; `date_from`/`date_to` are inclusive calendar-day bounds
     (date_to is widened by a day so the whole day is covered by the service's
@@ -67,8 +68,12 @@ def _parse_filters():
     artist_id = int(artist_id_raw) if artist_id_raw else None
     media = request.args.get("media")
     media_type = media if media in ("image", "video") else None
+    # newest/oldest key off effective_date (primary post / download); posted_new/
+    # posted_old off earliest_post_date (original publish across all posts). The
+    # default is posted_new so the grid leads with original publish date, not the
+    # download/repost the primary post points at (operator-flagged 2026-07-01).
     sort = request.args.get("sort")
-    sort = sort if sort in ("newest", "oldest") else "newest"
+    sort = sort if sort in ("newest", "oldest", "posted_new", "posted_old") else "posted_new"
     platform = request.args.get("platform") or None
     untagged = request.args.get("untagged") in ("1", "true", "yes")
     no_artist = request.args.get("no_artist") in ("1", "true", "yes")

backend/app/models/image_record.py

@@ -97,6 +97,16 @@ class ImageRecord(Base):
     effective_date: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(
         DateTime(timezone=True), nullable=False, server_default=func.now()
     )
+    # Denormalized ORIGINAL-publish sort key (alembic 0071) = MIN(post_date)
+    # across ALL of the image's provenance posts, else created_at. effective_date
+    # above keys off the PRIMARY post (often the repost/download the file came
+    # from); this keys off the earliest publish across EVERY post the image
+    # appears in, so the gallery can sort by when content was first posted rather
+    # than when it was downloaded (operator-flagged 2026-07-01). Maintained by
+    # services/importer.py, recomputed whenever a dated post is linked.
+    earliest_post_date: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(
+        DateTime(timezone=True), nullable=False, server_default=func.now()
+    )
     updated_at: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(
         DateTime(timezone=True),
         nullable=False,

backend/app/services/gallery_service.py

@@ -55,6 +55,25 @@ def _effective_date_col():
     return ImageRecord.effective_date
 
 
+# Sort key -> the materialized column the gallery orders + cursors on. Both are
+# indexed (DESC, id DESC), so every sort is a forward index range scan.
+#   newest/oldest    → effective_date    (primary post's date, else download)
+#   posted_new/_old  → earliest_post_date (earliest publish across ALL posts)
+_SORT_COLUMNS = {
+    "newest": ImageRecord.effective_date,
+    "oldest": ImageRecord.effective_date,
+    "posted_new": ImageRecord.earliest_post_date,
+    "posted_old": ImageRecord.earliest_post_date,
+}
+_ASCENDING_SORTS = {"oldest", "posted_old"}
+
+
+def _sort_column(sort: str):
+    """The materialized date column a gallery sort orders/cursors on (falls back
+    to effective_date for any unknown sort)."""
+    return _SORT_COLUMNS.get(sort, ImageRecord.effective_date)
+
+
 def _outer_join_primary_post(stmt: Select) -> Select:
     """LEFT JOIN Post on ImageRecord.primary_post_id so the COALESCE
     above sees Post.post_date when available. Images without a post
@@ -406,7 +425,10 @@ class GalleryService:
             tag_ids, post_id, artist_id, tag_or_groups, tag_exclude,
         )
 
-        eff = _effective_date_col()
+        # eff is the ACTIVE sort column (effective_date or earliest_post_date);
+        # the cursor, ordering and year/month grouping all key off it, so the
+        # 'post date' sort paginates + buckets by original publish transparently.
+        eff = _sort_column(sort)
         stmt = select(ImageRecord, Post.post_date, eff.label("eff"))
         stmt = _outer_join_primary_post(stmt)
         stmt = _apply_scope(
@@ -417,7 +439,7 @@ class GalleryService:
             date_from=date_from, date_to=date_to,
         )
 
-        descending = sort != "oldest"
+        descending = sort not in _ASCENDING_SORTS
         if cursor:
             cur_ts, cur_id = decode_cursor(cursor)
             # The cursor is just (last eff, last id); the request's sort

backend/app/services/importer.py

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from enum import StrEnum
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from PIL import Image
-from sqlalchemy import select, update
+from sqlalchemy import func, select, update
 from sqlalchemy.exc import IntegrityError
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 
@@ -1411,6 +1411,24 @@ class Importer:
         # default (matches the old COALESCE(post_date, created_at) fallback).
         if record.primary_post_id == post.id and post.post_date is not None:
             record.effective_date = post.post_date
+        # earliest_post_date (alembic 0071) = MIN(post_date) across ALL of this
+        # image's provenance posts, not just the primary — so the gallery can
+        # sort by original publish rather than the download/repost the primary
+        # points at. Recompute from provenance whenever a dated post is linked;
+        # the provenance row for THIS post was committed above, so the MIN
+        # includes it. Leaves the created_at default when no linked post is dated.
+        if post.post_date is not None:
+            earliest = self.session.execute(
+                select(func.min(Post.post_date))
+                .select_from(ImageProvenance)
+                .join(Post, Post.id == ImageProvenance.post_id)
+                .where(
+                    ImageProvenance.image_record_id == record.id,
+                    Post.post_date.is_not(None),
+                )
+            ).scalar_one_or_none()
+            if earliest is not None:
+                record.earliest_post_date = earliest
         self.session.flush()
 
     def _copy_to_library(

frontend/src/components/gallery/GalleryFilterBar.vue

@@ -142,9 +142,13 @@ const tagStore = useTagStore()
 const api = useApi()
 const router = useRouter()
 
+// posted_* sort by earliest publish across ALL of an image's posts (original
+// post date); newest/oldest sort by the primary post's date, else download date.
 const SORTS = [
-  { title: 'Newest first', value: 'newest' },
-  { title: 'Oldest first', value: 'oldest' },
+  { title: 'Newest post date', value: 'posted_new' },
+  { title: 'Oldest post date', value: 'posted_old' },
+  { title: 'Newest added', value: 'newest' },
+  { title: 'Oldest added', value: 'oldest' },
 ]
 
 const selected = ref(null)
@@ -175,7 +179,7 @@ const hasActiveFilters = computed(() =>
   store.filter.tag_or.length > 0 ||
   store.filter.artist_id != null ||
   store.filter.media_type != null ||
-  store.filter.sort !== 'newest' ||
+  store.filter.sort !== 'posted_new' ||
   store.filter.similar_to != null ||
   hasRefineFilters.value
 )

frontend/src/stores/gallery.js

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export const useGalleryStore = defineStore('gallery', () => {
   const error = ref(null)
   const filter = ref({
     tag_ids: [], artist_id: null, media_type: null,
-    sort: 'newest', post_id: null,
+    sort: 'posted_new', post_id: null,
     // #6 structured tag filter (AND-of-OR + exclude). tag_ids are the AND
     // "include" singletons (light editor + back-compat); tag_or is a list of
     // OR-groups (each group ORs, groups AND); tag_exclude is the NOT set.
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ export const useGalleryStore = defineStore('gallery', () => {
     if (filter.value.tag_exclude.length) p.tag_not = filter.value.tag_exclude.join(',')
     if (filter.value.artist_id) p.artist_id = filter.value.artist_id
     if (filter.value.media_type) p.media = filter.value.media_type
-    if (filter.value.sort && filter.value.sort !== 'newest') p.sort = filter.value.sort
+    if (filter.value.sort && filter.value.sort !== 'posted_new') p.sort = filter.value.sort
     if (filter.value.platform) p.platform = filter.value.platform
     if (filter.value.untagged) p.untagged = '1'
     if (filter.value.no_artist) p.no_artist = '1'
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ export const useGalleryStore = defineStore('gallery', () => {
       tag_exclude: _parseIds(q.tag_not),
       artist_id: _toId(q.artist_id),
       media_type: ['image', 'video'].includes(q.media) ? q.media : null,
-      sort: q.sort === 'oldest' ? 'oldest' : 'newest',
+      sort: ['newest', 'oldest', 'posted_new', 'posted_old'].includes(q.sort) ? q.sort : 'posted_new',
       post_id: _toId(q.post_id),
       platform: q.platform || null,
       untagged: _truthy(q.untagged),
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ export function filterToQuery(f) {
   if (f.tag_exclude?.length) q.tag_not = f.tag_exclude.join(',')
   if (f.artist_id) q.artist_id = String(f.artist_id)
   if (f.media_type) q.media = f.media_type
-  if (f.sort && f.sort !== 'newest') q.sort = f.sort
+  if (f.sort && f.sort !== 'posted_new') q.sort = f.sort
   if (f.platform) q.platform = f.platform
   if (f.untagged) q.untagged = '1'
   if (f.no_artist) q.no_artist = '1'

frontend/test/gallery.spec.js

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ describe('gallery store: composable filter', () => {
     expect(scroll).toContain('sort=oldest')
   })
 
-  it('omits sort=newest and sends no filter params when empty', async () => {
+  it('omits the default sort and sends no filter params when empty', async () => {
     const s = useGalleryStore()
     const urls = []
     stubFetch((url) => { urls.push(url); return { status: 200, body: EMPTY } })
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ describe('gallery store: composable filter', () => {
 describe('filterToQuery / cloneFilter', () => {
   it('serializes faceted params incl. platform sentinel and flags', () => {
     const q = filterToQuery({
-      tag_ids: [3], artist_id: null, media_type: null, sort: 'newest',
+      tag_ids: [3], artist_id: null, media_type: null, sort: 'posted_new',
       platform: '__unsourced__', untagged: true, no_artist: false,
       date_from: '2024-01-01', date_to: null,
     })
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ describe('filterToQuery / cloneFilter', () => {
     expect(q.no_artist).toBeUndefined()
     expect(q.date_from).toBe('2024-01-01')
     expect(q.date_to).toBeUndefined()
-    expect(q.sort).toBeUndefined()  // newest is the default → omitted
+    expect(q.sort).toBeUndefined()  // posted_new is the default → omitted
   })
 
   it('serializes similar_to', () => {

tests/test_gallery_service.py

@@ -73,6 +73,28 @@ async def test_scroll_returns_newest_first(db):
     assert page.images[0].created_at > page.images[-1].created_at
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_scroll_sorts_by_earliest_post_date(db):
+    """posted_new/posted_old key off earliest_post_date (original publish across
+    all of an image's posts), NOT effective_date/created_at — so an old file that
+    was first posted recently sorts by that recent post date."""
+    imgs = await _seed_images(db, 3)
+    now = _now()
+    # earliest_post_date order deliberately DIFFERS from created_at order (which
+    # _seed_images makes imgs[0] newest → imgs[2] oldest), proving the sort keys
+    # off earliest_post_date.
+    imgs[0].earliest_post_date = now - timedelta(days=1)     # middle
+    imgs[1].earliest_post_date = now - timedelta(days=365)   # oldest post
+    imgs[2].earliest_post_date = now - timedelta(hours=1)    # newest post
+    await db.flush()
+
+    svc = GalleryService(db)
+    newest = await svc.scroll(cursor=None, limit=10, sort="posted_new")
+    assert [i.id for i in newest.images] == [imgs[2].id, imgs[0].id, imgs[1].id]
+    oldest = await svc.scroll(cursor=None, limit=10, sort="posted_old")
+    assert [i.id for i in oldest.images] == [imgs[1].id, imgs[0].id, imgs[2].id]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_scroll_pagination(db):
     await _seed_images(db, 5)