test: fix tests, dont hang if payload is string

closes #11933

src/controllers/accounts/chats.js

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ chatsController.get = async function (req, res, next) {
 	}
 	const canChat = await privileges.global.can('chat', req.uid);
 	if (!canChat) {
-		return helpers.notAllowed(req, res, '[[error:no-privileges]]');
+		return helpers.notAllowed(req, res);
 	}
 
 	const payload = {

src/controllers/helpers.js

@@ -475,8 +475,8 @@ helpers.formatApiResponse = async (statusCode, res, payload) => {
 			status: { code, message },
 			response: payload || {},
 		});
-	} else if (payload instanceof Error) {
+	} else if (payload instanceof Error || typeof payload === 'string') {
-		const { message } = payload;
+		const message = payload instanceof Error ? payload.message : payload;
 		const response = {};
 
 		// Update status code based on some common error codes
@@ -512,9 +512,10 @@ helpers.formatApiResponse = async (statusCode, res, payload) => {
 			process.stdout.write(payload.stack);
 		}
 		res.status(statusCode).json(returnPayload);
-	} else if (!payload) {
+	} else {
 		// Non-2xx statusCode, generate predefined error
-		const returnPayload = await helpers.generateError(statusCode, null, res);
+		const message = payload ? String(payload) : null;
+		const returnPayload = await helpers.generateError(statusCode, message, res);
 		res.status(statusCode).json(returnPayload);
 	}
 };

src/messaging/rooms.js

@@ -447,17 +447,17 @@ module.exports = function (Messaging) {
 			user.isAdministrator(uid),
 			user.isGlobalModerator(uid),
 		]);
-
+		if (!room) {
-		if (!canChat) {
+			return null;
-			throw new Error('[[error:no-privileges]]');
 		}
-		if (!room ||
+
+		if (!canChat ||
 			(!room.public && !inRoom) ||
 			(room.public && (
 				Array.isArray(room.groups) && room.groups.length && !isAdmin && !(await groups.isMemberOfAny(uid, room.groups)))
 			)
 		) {
-			return null;
+			throw new Error('[[error:no-privileges]]');
 		}
 
 		// add user to public room onload

test/messaging.js

@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ describe('Messaging Library', () => {
 			assert.equal(response.statusCode, 404);
 		});
 
-		it('should 500 for guest with no privilege error', async () => {
+		it('should 401 for guest with not-authorised status code', async () => {
 			meta.config.disableChat = 0;
 			const response = await request(`${nconf.get('url')}/api/user/baz/chats`, {
 				resolveWithFullResponse: true,
@@ -706,8 +706,8 @@ describe('Messaging Library', () => {
 			});
 			const { body } = response;
 
-			assert.equal(response.statusCode, 500);
+			assert.equal(response.statusCode, 401);
-			assert.equal(body.error, '[[error:no-privileges]]');
+			assert.equal(body.status.code, 'not-authorised');
 		});
 
 		it('should 404 for non-existent user', async () => {