nginx x-accel-redirect protection of static files

This snippet requires nginx as your front end server (for serving static files) and any django enabled server as a backend that only gets the dynamic requests (I use apache with mod_python). If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you probably won't need this snippet. I previously tried something [similar](http://www.djangosnippets.org/snippets/62/) just using mod_python, but this was too unstable for my needs (the PythonAuthenHandler seems to be called multiple times for no apparent reason). The patch from that snippet was also used as a base for [this ticket](http://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/3583). This is part of an authentication mechanism I use for protecting static files. Nginx has the so called x-accel-redirect feature, that tells nginx to serve an internal (read 'protected') file if the backend response has the ['X-Accel-Redirect'] header set. No other headers are touched, but by deleting all relevant headers in the default django response, nginx will create those headers for us. The usage is pretty simple: * set up nginx as a proxy for apache + mod_python + django (google for this if you don't know how) * configure nginx as shown in the code snippet (for testing leave out the internal part to see if the files are accessible) * configure your urls.py to point to the validation view * make your sites hrefs point to the view instead of the file directly (those real urls will be completely hidden from your visitors) * Done!

• authentication
• nginx

Wed 09 Apr 2014 Read More

AutoSlugField

This is a simple solution aimed at saving some time when you simply want to get a slug from a model field just before saving.

• fields
• slug
• field

Sun 29 Jan 2012 Read More

Renderer decorator

You can use this as a decorator for your views, this way you can return a simple dictionary and the decorator will do the rest. **@TODO:** Automatically set the template based on the app/view request

• shortcut
• render

Sun 11 Jul 2010 Read More

Check Size of Object in memcached

I've been working with a data set where a single object won't fit into memcached's 1 Mb slab limit. The two functions have been useful to me for debugging the size of the data structure once pickled, and if said pickled data structure is greater than 1 Mb. These functions assume CACHE_BACKEND is memcached, obviously.

• memcache
• cache
• memcached

Wed 18 Aug 2010 Read More

Filter for adding quote marks

A template filter for adding curly quotes around a string. The filter understands enough HTML to put the quotes inside an initial paragraph begin and ending paragraph end, if they exist. Put the code inside a file in a templatetags subdir in your app, add a {% load myfile %} statement and you're ready to go with {{somebodysays|addquotes}}. Of course, beware the script kiddies, be careful with escaping.

• templatetag
• quotes

Sun 11 Jul 2010 Read More

Obfuscator for django project sources

This script can be useful if you want to obfuscate your django project sources. I use the [pyobfuscate](http://freshmeat.net/projects/pyobfuscate/) tool, a little bit patched, the patch you can get [here](http://farid.adigamov.com/files/pyobfuscate.patch). The patch switchs off the classes and methods obfuscation as they could be imported from other files. The **pyobfuscate** util can obfuscate only one file at once. This script can obfuscate all .py files from the specified path (src_dir), at the end of the obfuscation it compiles them using **compileall** module. Set the **src_dir** and the **dst_dir** variables. Note: remove original **settings.py** and **urls.py** from the **src_dir** cause **pyobfuscate** util raises an error trying to encode them. The decorators are not handled correctly by pyobfuscate tool. I'm using django for about year and i didn't use the decorators except the '@transaction' decorators. I replace them from the sources at the beginning of the obfuscation and put them at their places in encoded file. In case of using other decorators you should make some changes in code ( line # 64 ).

• obfuscate
• sources
• hide
• obfuscator

Sun 09 Sep 2012 Read More

ManyToMany field with newforms

In editing a ManyToMany field in a form, it is necessary to clear the entries in the bridge table before adding new entries. So first save the new entries, remove the old entries in the multiple choice field and then add the new entries. It is also necessary to add the commit_on_success decorator to make sure that the whole process is in one transaction.

• newforms
• multiplechoicefield
• manytomany

Sat 25 Jun 2011 Read More

Get Latitude and Longitude from google maps

I use this to integrate a google map in a form renderd by newforms. If someone click on the map and set a icon, the Latitude and Longitude data goes into the 2 form fields. You need to generate a google API key (http://www.google.com/apis/maps/signup.html) for the GOOGLE_KEY variable.

• google
• latitude
• longitude
• googlemaps

Tue 04 Sep 2012 Read More

Table of Contents

Simple template filter that extracts from a text ids, replaces '_' with spaces and produces hyperlinked Table of Contents. More info and usage example please see at [http://www.mysoftparade.com/blog/autogenerated-toc/](http://www.mysoftparade.com/blog/autogenerated-toc/)

• toc
• table-of-contents

Sun 11 Jul 2010 Read More

Another means of updating a subset of a model's fields

Based on the UPDATE query section of `Model.save()`, this is another means of limiting the fields which are used in an UPDATE statement and bypassing the check for object existence which is made when you use `Model.save()`. Just make whatever changes you want to your model instance and call `update`, passing your instance and the names of any fields to be updated. Usage example: import datetime from forum.models import Topic from forum.utils.models import update topic = Topic.objects.get(pk=1) topic.post_count += 1 topic.last_post_at = datetime.datetime.now() update(topic, 'post_count', 'last_post_at') (Originally intended as a comment on [Snippet 479](/snippets/479/), but comments aren't working for me)

• model
• db
• update

Sun 11 Jul 2010 Read More

Select multiple using a manytomany checkbox

Usage: from yourapp.fields import CheckBoxManyToMany from django.db import models class Weekday(models.Model): name = models.CharField() def __unicode__(self): return self.name class EventWithWeekday(models.Model): weekdays = CheckBoxManyToMany(Weekday)

• checkbox
• multiple
• oldforms
• select

Sun 11 Jul 2010 Read More

Update only selected model fields

Watch out! Previous versions of this snippet (without the values list) were vulnerable to SQL injection attacks. The "correct" solution is probably to wait until [ticket 4102](http://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/4102) hits the trunk. But here's my temporary fix while we wait for that happy day. Django's model.save() method is a PITA: 1. It does a SELECT first to see if the instance is already in the database. 2. It has additional database performance overhead because it writes all fields, not just the ones that have been changed. 3. It overwrites other model fields with data that may be out of date. This is a real problem in concurrent applications, like almost all web apps. If you just want to update a field or two on a model instance which is already in the database, try this: update_fields(user, email='[email protected]', is_staff=True, last_login=datetime.now()) Or you can add it to your models (see below) and then do this: user.update_fields( email='[email protected]', is_staff=True, last_login=datetime.now()) To add it to your model, put it in a module called granular_update, then write this in your models.py: import granular_update class User(models.Model): email = models.EmailField() is_staff = models.BooleanField() last_login = models.DateTimeField() update_fields = granular_update.update_fields

• fields
• model
• save
• performance
• field
• update
• integrity
• consistency

Sun 11 Jul 2010 Read More

Recaptcha with Django Comments

Working off b23's [recaptcha support](http://www.djangosnippets.org/snippets/433/), I have hacked a way to add recaptcha support using existing comments. I am sure there is a better way, and ultimately I will suggest a patch to add captcha support as an option, but for now I hope this helps. For a more detailed rundown (as well as a working sample), check out my [blog entry](http://nikolajbaer.us/blog/recaptcha-django-free-comments/).

• comments
• recaptcha

Sun 11 Jul 2010 Read More

sublist

*Usage:* `list|sublist:"a:b"` Returns `list[a:b]` Accepts `":b"` and `"a:"` shortcuts Note that the double quotes are necessary

• filter
• lists
• templates

Sun 11 Jul 2010 Read More

PreSaveMiddleware

With this middleware in place (add it to the MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES in your settings) you can pass a request to the model via a pre_save method on the model. I'm not sure if it is an improvement over the [threadlocals method] (http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/CookBookThreadlocalsAndUser) but it may be an alternative that can be improved upon? class MyModel(models.Model): name = models.CharField(max_length=50) created = models.DateTimeField() created_by = models.ForeignKey(User, null=True, blank=True) def pre_save(self, request): if not self.id: self.created_by = request.user

• middleware
• pre_save
• signals

Sun 11 Jul 2010 Read More