allow for file/dir deletion in test mode

qiita_client/qiita_client.py

@@ -897,10 +897,13 @@ def push_file_to_central(self, filepath):
     def delete_file_from_central(self, filepath):
         """Deletes a file in Qiita's central BASE_DATA_DIR directory.
 
-        I currently (2025-09-25) assess this operation to be too dangerous for
+        I currently (2025-11-12) assess this operation to be too dangerous for
         protocols other than "filesystem", i.e. on "https" the files are NOT
         deleted.
-        However, this might change in the future and since I don't want to
+        However, in plugin tests, this function is needed and I therefore
+        implemented an API endpoint which is only activated when Qiita main
+        instance is operated in test mode.
+        This might change in the future and since I don't want to
         touch every plugin's code again, I am adding this function here already
         and use it in according plugin code locations, e.g. function _gzip_file
         in qtp-sequencing.
@@ -916,8 +919,15 @@ def delete_file_from_central(self, filepath):
         The given filepath - to be transparent in plugin code.
         """
         if self._plugincoupling == 'filesystem':
-            os.remove(filepath)
+            if os.path.isdir(filepath):
+                shutil.rmtree(filepath)
+            else:
+                os.remove(filepath)
         elif self._plugincoupling == 'https':
-            pass
+            # will return in internal server error, when qiita is in productive
+            # mode
+            self.get(
+                '/cloud/delete_file_from_central/' + filepath,
+                rettype='object')
 
         return filepath

qiita_client/tests/test_qiita_client.py

@@ -511,20 +511,10 @@ def test_delete_file_from_central(self):
 
             # delete file and test if it is gone
             fp_deleted = self.qclient.delete_file_from_central(fp_test)
-            if protocol == 'filesystem':
-                # all three fp should point to the same filepath
-                self.assertFalse(exists(fp_obs))
-                self.assertFalse(exists(fp_test))
-                self.assertFalse(exists(fp_deleted))
-            elif protocol == 'https':
-                # as of 2025-09-26, I don't allow deletion of qiita main files
-                # through API endpoints. Thus, the file is NOT deleted!
-                # local version of the file
-                self.assertTrue(exists(fp_test))
-                # qiita main filepath
-                self.assertTrue(exists(fp_obs))
-                # qiita main filepath, returned by delete_file_from_central
-                self.assertTrue(exists(fp_deleted))
+            # all three fp should point to the same filepath
+            self.assertFalse(exists(fp_obs))
+            self.assertFalse(exists(fp_test))
+            self.assertFalse(exists(fp_deleted))
 
     def test_fetch_directory(self):
         # a bit hacky, but should work as long as test database does not change