enhanced request how-to + example

djangorestframework/request.py

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ This enhanced request object offers the following :
 
 from django.http import HttpRequest
 
+from djangorestframework.response import ErrorResponse
+from djangorestframework import status
 from djangorestframework.utils.mediatypes import is_form_media_type, order_by_precedence
 from djangorestframework.utils import as_tuple
 

docs/howto/requestmixin.rst

+Using the enhanced request in all your views
+==============================================
+
+This example shows how you can use Django REST framework's enhanced `request` in your own views, without having to use the full-blown :class:`views.View` class. 
+
+What can it do for you ? Mostly, it will take care of parsing the request's content, and handling equally all HTTP methods ... 
+
+Before
+--------
+
+In order to support `JSON` or other serial formats, you might have parsed manually the request's content with something like : ::
+
+    class MyView(View):
+
+        def put(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+            content_type = request.META['CONTENT_TYPE']
+            if (content_type == 'application/json'):
+                raw_data = request.read()
+                parsed_data = json.loads(raw_data)
+
+            # PLUS as many `elif` as formats you wish to support ...
+
+            # then do stuff with your data :
+            self.do_stuff(parsed_data['bla'], parsed_data['hoho'])
+
+            # and finally respond something
+
+... and you were unhappy because this looks hackish.
+
+Also, you might have tried uploading files with a PUT request - *and given up* since that's complicated to achieve even with Django 1.3.
+
+
+After
+------
+
+All the dirty `Content-type` checking and content reading and parsing is done for you, and you only need to do the following : ::
+
+    class MyView(MyBaseViewUsingEnhancedRequest):
+
+        def put(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+            self.do_stuff(request.DATA['bla'], request.DATA['hoho'])
+            # and finally respond something
+
+So the parsed content is magically available as `.DATA` on the `request` object.
+
+Also, if you uploaded files, they are available as `.FILES`, like with a normal POST request.
+
+.. note:: Note that all the above is also valid for a POST request.
+
+
+How to add it to your custom views ?
+--------------------------------------
+
+Now that you're convinced you need to use the enhanced request object, here is how you can add it to all your custom views : ::
+
+    from django.views.generic.base import View
+
+    from djangorestframework.mixins import RequestMixin
+    from djangorestframework import parsers
+
+
+    class MyBaseViewUsingEnhancedRequest(RequestMixin, View):
+        """
+        Base view enabling the usage of enhanced requests with user defined views.
+        """
+
+        parsers = parsers.DEFAULT_PARSERS
+
+        def dispatch(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+            self.request = request
+            request = self.get_request()
+            return super(MyBaseViewUsingEnhancedRequest, self).dispatch(request, *args, **kwargs)
+
+And then, use this class as a base for all your custom views.
+
+.. note:: you can also check the request example. 

examples/requestexample/models.py

+from django.db import models
+
+# Create your models here.

examples/requestexample/urls.py

+from django.conf.urls.defaults import patterns, url
+from requestexample.views import RequestExampleView, MockView, EchoRequestContentView
+
+urlpatterns = patterns('',
+    url(r'^$', RequestExampleView.as_view(), name='request-example'),
+    url(r'^content$', MockView.as_view(view_class=EchoRequestContentView), name='request-content'),
+)

examples/requestexample/views.py

+from djangorestframework.compat import View
+from django.http import HttpResponse
+from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
+
+from djangorestframework.mixins import RequestMixin
+from djangorestframework.views import View as DRFView
+from djangorestframework import parsers
+
+
+class RequestExampleView(DRFView):
+    """
+    A container view for request examples.
+    """
+
+    def get(self, request):
+        return [{'name': 'request.DATA Example', 'url': reverse('request-content')},]
+
+
+class MyBaseViewUsingEnhancedRequest(RequestMixin, View):
+    """
+    Base view enabling the usage of enhanced requests with user defined views.
+    """
+
+    parsers = parsers.DEFAULT_PARSERS
+
+    def dispatch(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.request = request
+        request = self.get_request()
+        return super(MyBaseViewUsingEnhancedRequest, self).dispatch(request, *args, **kwargs)
+
+
+class EchoRequestContentView(MyBaseViewUsingEnhancedRequest):
+    """
+    A view that just reads the items in `request.DATA` and echoes them back.
+    """
+
+    def post(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+        return HttpResponse(("Found %s in request.DATA, content : %s" %
+            (type(request.DATA), request.DATA)))
+
+    def put(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+        return HttpResponse(("Found %s in request.DATA, content : %s" %
+            (type(request.DATA), request.DATA)))
+
+
+class MockView(DRFView):
+    """
+    A view that just acts as a proxy to call non-djangorestframework views, while still
+    displaying the browsable API interface.
+    """
+
+    view_class = None
+
+    def dispatch(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.request = request
+        if self.get_request().method in ['PUT', 'POST']:
+            self.response = self.view_class.as_view()(request, *args, **kwargs)
+        return super(MockView, self).dispatch(request, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    def get(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+        return
+
+    def put(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self.response.content
+
+    def post(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self.response.content
+
+    def __getattribute__(self, name):
+        if name == '__name__':
+            return self.view_class.__name__
+        elif name == '__doc__':
+            return self.view_class.__doc__
+        else:
+            return super(MockView, self).__getattribute__(name)
+

examples/sandbox/views.py

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class Sandbox(View):
     5. A code highlighting API.
     6. A blog posts and comments API.
     7. A basic example using permissions.
+    8. A basic example using enhanced request.
 
     Please feel free to browse, create, edit and delete the resources in these examples."""
 
@@ -33,5 +34,6 @@ class Sandbox(View):
                 {'name': 'Object store API', 'url': reverse('object-store-root')},
                 {'name': 'Code highlighting API', 'url': reverse('pygments-root')},
                 {'name': 'Blog posts API', 'url': reverse('blog-posts-root')},
-                {'name': 'Permissions example', 'url': reverse('permissions-example')}
+                {'name': 'Permissions example', 'url': reverse('permissions-example')},
+                {'name': 'Simple request mixin example', 'url': reverse('request-example')}
                 ]

examples/settings.py

@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ INSTALLED_APPS = (
     'pygments_api',
     'blogpost',
     'permissionsexample',
+    'requestexample',
 )
 
 import os

examples/urls.py

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ urlpatterns = patterns('',
     (r'^pygments/', include('pygments_api.urls')),
     (r'^blog-post/', include('blogpost.urls')),
     (r'^permissions-example/', include('permissionsexample.urls')),
+    (r'^request-example/', include('requestexample.urls')),
 
     (r'^', include('djangorestframework.urls')),
 )