From 5ebc53726dbd8f5393aad82eebd1ba203dc69d60 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Dcano-png <dcano@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:49:52 -0400
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] src profile and create suggestAvailableUsername helper
 function

---
 src/topics/create.js | 24 +++++++++++++++++++++++-
 src/user/profile.js  | 24 +++++++++++++++++++++++-
 2 files changed, 46 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/topics/create.js b/src/topics/create.js
index c366c21..8815ca5 100644
--- a/src/topics/create.js
+++ b/src/topics/create.js
@@ -266,6 +266,27 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
         }
     }
 
+    // CHATGPT ASSISTED FUNCTION
+    async function suggestAvailableUsername(userslug) {
+        let attempt = 0;
+        const maxAttempts = 20;
+        while (attempt < maxAttempts) {
+            const suffix = attempt === 0 ? '' : _.random(1, 999);
+            const username = `${userslug}${suffix}`;
+            try {
+                await User.checkUsername(username);
+                return username;
+            } catch (err) {
+                if (err.message.includes('[[error:username-taken]]')) {
+                    attempt += 1;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                throw err;
+            }
+        }
+        throw new Error('Could not find an available username after multiple attempts.');
+    }
+
     async function guestHandleValid(data) {
         if (meta.config.allowGuestHandles && parseInt(data.uid, 10) === 0 && data.handle) {
             if (data.handle.length > meta.config.maximumUsernameLength) {
@@ -273,7 +294,8 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
             }
             const exists = await user.existsBySlug(slugify(data.handle));
             if (exists) {
-                throw new Error('[[error:username-taken]]');
+                const suggestion = await suggestAvailableUsername(user.slugify(data.handle));
+                throw new Error(`[[error:username-taken]] Suggested username: ${suggestion}`);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/user/profile.js b/src/user/profile.js
index 5274a6d..98d5185 100644
--- a/src/user/profile.js
+++ b/src/user/profile.js
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
         }
         const exists = await User.existsBySlug(userslug);
         if (exists) {
-            throw new Error('[[error:username-taken]]');
+            const suggestion = await suggestAvailableUsername(userslug);
+            throw new Error(`[[error:username-taken]] Suggested username: ${suggestion}`);
         }
 
         const { error } = await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:username.check', {
@@ -138,6 +139,27 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
             throw error;
         }
     }
+    // CHATGPT ASSISTED FUNCTION
+    async function suggestAvailableUsername(userslug) {
+        let attempt = 0;
+        const maxAttempts = 20;
+        while (attempt < maxAttempts) {
+            const suffix = attempt === 0 ? '' : _.random(1, 999);
+            const username = `${userslug}${suffix}`;
+            try {
+                await User.checkUsername(username);
+                return username;
+            } catch (err) {
+                if (err.message.includes('[[error:username-taken]]')) {
+                    attempt += 1;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                throw err;
+            }
+        }
+        throw new Error('Could not find an available username after multiple attempts.');
+    }
+
     User.checkUsername = async username => isUsernameAvailable({ username });
 
     async function isWebsiteValid(callerUid, data) {

From 14e2641d281ab9f1d4d86b72f5cebe36a08e89c5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Dcano-png <dcano@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:53:45 -0400
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] src register helper suggestion

---
 public/src/client/register.js | 24 +++++++++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 23 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/public/src/client/register.js b/public/src/client/register.js
index 62dbc41..c5a9fb2 100644
--- a/public/src/client/register.js
+++ b/public/src/client/register.js
@@ -111,6 +111,27 @@ define('forum/register', [
         $('#username').focus();
     };
 
+    // CHATGPT ASSISTED FUNCTION
+    async function suggestAvailableUsername(userslug) {
+        let attempt = 0;
+        const maxAttempts = 20;
+        while (attempt < maxAttempts) {
+            const suffix = attempt === 0 ? '' : _.random(1, 999);
+            const username = `${userslug}${suffix}`;
+            try {
+                await User.checkUsername(username);
+                return username;
+            } catch (err) {
+                if (err.message.includes('[[error:username-taken]]')) {
+                    attempt += 1;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                throw err;
+            }
+        }
+        throw new Error('Could not find an available username after multiple attempts.');
+    }
+
     function validateUsername(username, callback) {
         callback = callback || function () {};
 
@@ -131,7 +152,8 @@ define('forum/register', [
                 if (results.every(obj => obj.status === 'rejected')) {
                     showSuccess(username_notify, successIcon);
                 } else {
-                    showError(username_notify, '[[error:username-taken]]');
+                    const suggestion = await suggestAvailableUsername(userslug);
+                    showError(username_notify, `[[error:username-taken]] Suggested username: ${suggestion}`);
                 }
 
                 callback();