feat: allow setting custom timestamps when creating memos and comments

Allow API users to set custom create_time, update_time, and display_time
when creating memos and comments. This enables importing historical data
with accurate timestamps.

Changes:
- Update proto definitions: change create_time and update_time from
  OUTPUT_ONLY to OPTIONAL to allow setting on creation
- Modify CreateMemo service to handle custom timestamps from request
- Update database drivers (SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL) to support
  inserting custom timestamps when provided
- Add comprehensive test coverage for custom timestamp functionality
- Maintain backward compatibility: auto-generated timestamps still
  work when custom values are not provided

Author: johnnyjoygh

proto/api/v1/memo_service.proto

@@ -173,11 +173,13 @@ message Memo {
     (google.api.resource_reference) = {type: "memos.api.v1/User"}
   ];
 
-  // Output only. The creation timestamp.
-  google.protobuf.Timestamp create_time = 4 [(google.api.field_behavior) = OUTPUT_ONLY];
+  // The creation timestamp.
+  // If not set on creation, the server will set it to the current time.
+  google.protobuf.Timestamp create_time = 4 [(google.api.field_behavior) = OPTIONAL];
 
-  // Output only. The last update timestamp.
-  google.protobuf.Timestamp update_time = 5 [(google.api.field_behavior) = OUTPUT_ONLY];
+  // The last update timestamp.
+  // If not set on creation, the server will set it to the current time.
+  google.protobuf.Timestamp update_time = 5 [(google.api.field_behavior) = OPTIONAL];
 
   // The display timestamp of the memo.
   google.protobuf.Timestamp display_time = 6 [(google.api.field_behavior) = OPTIONAL];

proto/gen/api/v1/memo_service.pb.go

@@ -2470,14 +2470,16 @@ components:
                         The name of the creator.
                          Format: users/{user}
                 createTime:
-                    readOnly: true
                     type: string
-                    description: Output only. The creation timestamp.
+                    description: |-
+                        The creation timestamp.
+                         If not set on creation, the server will set it to the current time.
                     format: date-time
                 updateTime:
-                    readOnly: true
                     type: string
-                    description: Output only. The last update timestamp.
+                    description: |-
+                        The last update timestamp.
+                         If not set on creation, the server will set it to the current time.
                     format: date-time
                 displayTime:
                     type: string

proto/gen/openapi.yaml

@@ -45,10 +45,35 @@ func (s *APIV1Service) CreateMemo(ctx context.Context, request *v1pb.CreateMemoR
 		Content:    request.Memo.Content,
 		Visibility: convertVisibilityToStore(request.Memo.Visibility),
 	}
+
 	instanceMemoRelatedSetting, err := s.Store.GetInstanceMemoRelatedSetting(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, status.Errorf(codes.Internal, "failed to get instance memo related setting")
 	}
+
+	// Handle display_time first: if provided, use it to set the appropriate timestamp
+	// based on the instance setting (similar to UpdateMemo logic)
+	// Note: explicit create_time/update_time below will override this if provided
+	if request.Memo.DisplayTime != nil && request.Memo.DisplayTime.IsValid() {
+		displayTs := request.Memo.DisplayTime.AsTime().Unix()
+		if instanceMemoRelatedSetting.DisplayWithUpdateTime {
+			create.UpdatedTs = displayTs
+		} else {
+			create.CreatedTs = displayTs
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Set custom timestamps if provided in the request
+	// These take precedence over display_time
+	if request.Memo.CreateTime != nil && request.Memo.CreateTime.IsValid() {
+		createdTs := request.Memo.CreateTime.AsTime().Unix()
+		create.CreatedTs = createdTs
+	}
+	if request.Memo.UpdateTime != nil && request.Memo.UpdateTime.IsValid() {
+		updatedTs := request.Memo.UpdateTime.AsTime().Unix()
+		create.UpdatedTs = updatedTs
+	}
+
 	if instanceMemoRelatedSetting.DisallowPublicVisibility && create.Visibility == store.Public {
 		return nil, status.Errorf(codes.PermissionDenied, "disable public memos system setting is enabled")
 	}

server/router/api/v1/memo_service.go

@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 
 	apiv1 "github.com/usememos/memos/proto/gen/api/v1"
 )
@@ -250,3 +252,118 @@ func TestListMemos(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NotNil(t, userTwoReaction)
 	require.Equal(t, "👍", userTwoReaction.ReactionType)
 }
+
+// TestCreateMemoWithCustomTimestamps tests that custom timestamps can be set when creating memos and comments.
+// This addresses issue #5483: https://github.com/usememos/memos/issues/5483
+func TestCreateMemoWithCustomTimestamps(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	ts := NewTestService(t)
+	defer ts.Cleanup()
+
+	// Create a test user
+	user, err := ts.CreateRegularUser(ctx, "test-user-timestamps")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, user)
+
+	userCtx := ts.CreateUserContext(ctx, user.ID)
+
+	// Define custom timestamps (January 1, 2020)
+	customCreateTime := time.Date(2020, 1, 1, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	customUpdateTime := time.Date(2020, 1, 2, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	customDisplayTime := time.Date(2020, 1, 3, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+
+	// Test 1: Create a memo with custom create_time
+	memoWithCreateTime, err := ts.Service.CreateMemo(userCtx, &apiv1.CreateMemoRequest{
+		Memo: &apiv1.Memo{
+			Content:    "This memo has a custom creation time",
+			Visibility: apiv1.Visibility_PRIVATE,
+			CreateTime: timestamppb.New(customCreateTime),
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, memoWithCreateTime)
+	require.Equal(t, customCreateTime.Unix(), memoWithCreateTime.CreateTime.AsTime().Unix(), "create_time should match the custom timestamp")
+
+	// Test 2: Create a memo with custom update_time
+	memoWithUpdateTime, err := ts.Service.CreateMemo(userCtx, &apiv1.CreateMemoRequest{
+		Memo: &apiv1.Memo{
+			Content:    "This memo has a custom update time",
+			Visibility: apiv1.Visibility_PRIVATE,
+			UpdateTime: timestamppb.New(customUpdateTime),
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, memoWithUpdateTime)
+	require.Equal(t, customUpdateTime.Unix(), memoWithUpdateTime.UpdateTime.AsTime().Unix(), "update_time should match the custom timestamp")
+
+	// Test 3: Create a memo with custom display_time
+	// Note: display_time is computed from either created_ts or updated_ts based on instance setting
+	// Since DisplayWithUpdateTime defaults to false, display_time maps to created_ts
+	memoWithDisplayTime, err := ts.Service.CreateMemo(userCtx, &apiv1.CreateMemoRequest{
+		Memo: &apiv1.Memo{
+			Content:     "This memo has a custom display time",
+			Visibility:  apiv1.Visibility_PRIVATE,
+			DisplayTime: timestamppb.New(customDisplayTime),
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, memoWithDisplayTime)
+	// Since DisplayWithUpdateTime is false by default, display_time sets created_ts
+	require.Equal(t, customDisplayTime.Unix(), memoWithDisplayTime.DisplayTime.AsTime().Unix(), "display_time should match the custom timestamp")
+	require.Equal(t, customDisplayTime.Unix(), memoWithDisplayTime.CreateTime.AsTime().Unix(), "create_time should also match since display_time maps to created_ts")
+
+	// Test 4: Create a memo with all custom timestamps
+	// When both display_time and create_time are provided, create_time takes precedence
+	memoWithAllTimestamps, err := ts.Service.CreateMemo(userCtx, &apiv1.CreateMemoRequest{
+		Memo: &apiv1.Memo{
+			Content:     "This memo has all custom timestamps",
+			Visibility:  apiv1.Visibility_PRIVATE,
+			CreateTime:  timestamppb.New(customCreateTime),
+			UpdateTime:  timestamppb.New(customUpdateTime),
+			DisplayTime: timestamppb.New(customDisplayTime),
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, memoWithAllTimestamps)
+	require.Equal(t, customCreateTime.Unix(), memoWithAllTimestamps.CreateTime.AsTime().Unix(), "create_time should match the custom timestamp")
+	require.Equal(t, customUpdateTime.Unix(), memoWithAllTimestamps.UpdateTime.AsTime().Unix(), "update_time should match the custom timestamp")
+	// display_time is computed from created_ts when DisplayWithUpdateTime is false
+	require.Equal(t, customCreateTime.Unix(), memoWithAllTimestamps.DisplayTime.AsTime().Unix(), "display_time should be derived from create_time")
+
+	// Test 5: Create a comment (memo relation) with custom timestamps
+	parentMemo, err := ts.Service.CreateMemo(userCtx, &apiv1.CreateMemoRequest{
+		Memo: &apiv1.Memo{
+			Content:    "This is the parent memo",
+			Visibility: apiv1.Visibility_PRIVATE,
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, parentMemo)
+
+	customCommentCreateTime := time.Date(2021, 6, 15, 10, 30, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	comment, err := ts.Service.CreateMemoComment(userCtx, &apiv1.CreateMemoCommentRequest{
+		Name: parentMemo.Name,
+		Comment: &apiv1.Memo{
+			Content:    "This is a comment with custom create time",
+			Visibility: apiv1.Visibility_PRIVATE,
+			CreateTime: timestamppb.New(customCommentCreateTime),
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, comment)
+	require.Equal(t, customCommentCreateTime.Unix(), comment.CreateTime.AsTime().Unix(), "comment create_time should match the custom timestamp")
+
+	// Test 6: Verify that memos without custom timestamps still get auto-generated ones
+	memoWithoutTimestamps, err := ts.Service.CreateMemo(userCtx, &apiv1.CreateMemoRequest{
+		Memo: &apiv1.Memo{
+			Content:    "This memo has auto-generated timestamps",
+			Visibility: apiv1.Visibility_PRIVATE,
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, memoWithoutTimestamps)
+	require.NotNil(t, memoWithoutTimestamps.CreateTime, "create_time should be auto-generated")
+	require.NotNil(t, memoWithoutTimestamps.UpdateTime, "update_time should be auto-generated")
+	require.True(t, time.Now().Unix()-memoWithoutTimestamps.CreateTime.AsTime().Unix() < 5, "create_time should be recent (within 5 seconds)")
+}

server/router/api/v1/test/memo_service_test.go

@@ -26,6 +26,18 @@ func (d *DB) CreateMemo(ctx context.Context, create *store.Memo) (*store.Memo, e
 	}
 	args := []any{create.UID, create.CreatorID, create.Content, create.Visibility, payload}
 
+	// Add custom timestamps if provided
+	if create.CreatedTs != 0 {
+		fields = append(fields, "`created_ts`")
+		placeholder = append(placeholder, "?")
+		args = append(args, create.CreatedTs)
+	}
+	if create.UpdatedTs != 0 {
+		fields = append(fields, "`updated_ts`")
+		placeholder = append(placeholder, "?")
+		args = append(args, create.UpdatedTs)
+	}
+
 	stmt := "INSERT INTO `memo` (" + strings.Join(fields, ", ") + ") VALUES (" + strings.Join(placeholder, ", ") + ")"
 	result, err := d.db.ExecContext(ctx, stmt, args...)
 	if err != nil {

store/db/mysql/memo.go

@@ -25,6 +25,16 @@ func (d *DB) CreateMemo(ctx context.Context, create *store.Memo) (*store.Memo, e
 	}
 	args := []any{create.UID, create.CreatorID, create.Content, create.Visibility, payload}
 
+	// Add custom timestamps if provided
+	if create.CreatedTs != 0 {
+		fields = append(fields, "created_ts")
+		args = append(args, create.CreatedTs)
+	}
+	if create.UpdatedTs != 0 {
+		fields = append(fields, "updated_ts")
+		args = append(args, create.UpdatedTs)
+	}
+
 	stmt := "INSERT INTO memo (" + strings.Join(fields, ", ") + ") VALUES (" + placeholders(len(args)) + ") RETURNING id, created_ts, updated_ts, row_status"
 	if err := d.db.QueryRowContext(ctx, stmt, args...).Scan(
 		&create.ID,

store/db/postgres/memo.go

@@ -26,6 +26,18 @@ func (d *DB) CreateMemo(ctx context.Context, create *store.Memo) (*store.Memo, e
 	}
 	args := []any{create.UID, create.CreatorID, create.Content, create.Visibility, payload}
 
+	// Add custom timestamps if provided
+	if create.CreatedTs != 0 {
+		fields = append(fields, "`created_ts`")
+		placeholder = append(placeholder, "?")
+		args = append(args, create.CreatedTs)
+	}
+	if create.UpdatedTs != 0 {
+		fields = append(fields, "`updated_ts`")
+		placeholder = append(placeholder, "?")
+		args = append(args, create.UpdatedTs)
+	}
+
 	stmt := "INSERT INTO `memo` (" + strings.Join(fields, ", ") + ") VALUES (" + strings.Join(placeholder, ", ") + ") RETURNING `id`, `created_ts`, `updated_ts`, `row_status`"
 	if err := d.db.QueryRowContext(ctx, stmt, args...).Scan(
 		&create.ID,