Basics¶
Message backends¶
Backends are available in various formats, each format has its own special features. Usually, JSON is for webapp usage, XML for remote clients and Plain for some nerdz.
Formats¶
Every paths below are relative to djangotribune URL.
- Plain-text
- Very light, use the raw message, ascendant ordered by default. Url path from the
tribune is
remote/
for backend andpost/
for post view. - XML
- Very fast, use the remote message render, descendant ordered by default. Url path from
the tribune is
remote/xml/
for backend andpost/xml/
for post view. - CRAP XML
- The extended XML version to go well with old tribune application clients. Currently the
only diff is the XML structure wich is indented. Url path from the tribune is
crap/remote.xml
for backend andcrap/post.xml
for post view. - JSON
- Very declarative, use the web message render, descendant ordered by default. Url
path from the tribune is
remote/json/
for backend andpost/json/
for post view. - Tabulation Separated Values
- A lightweight backend format intended for some recent third application
clients. It works like Plain-text format excepting each message parts
(id, clock, message, user, etc..) are separated with tabulation character.
Url path for backend is
remote/tsv/
andpost/tsv/
for post view.
Note
For channel backend and post urls you must prepend the path with the channel
slug, by example with a channel slug foo
for the XML backend you will need
to do foo/remote/xml/
.
Url arguments¶
On backend URLs, you can set some options by adding URL arguments like this :
/remote/?limit=42&direction=asc&last_id=77
- limit
- An integer to specify how many messages can be retrieved. This value cannot be greater
than the setting value
TRIBUNE_MESSAGES_MAX_LIMIT
. Default value comes from settingTRIBUNE_MESSAGES_MAX_LIMIT
if this option is not specified. - direction
- Message listing direction specify whether the list should be ordered by
id
in ascendant or descendant way. Value can beasc
for ascendant ordesc
for descendant. Each backend can have its own default direction. - last_id
The last
id
from wich to retrieve the messages in the interval of thelimit
option.For example, with a tribune with 42 messages numbered (on their
id
) from 1 to 42, and with default limit to 30 :- Requesting a backend without any option will return messages from
id
13 to 42; - Requesting a backend with option
limit
to 10, will return messages fromid
33 to 42; - Requesting a backend with option
last_id
to 15 will return messages fromid
16 to 42; - Requesting a backend with option
limit
to 5 and optionlast_id
to 15 will return messages fromid
38 to 42;
No matter what direction you specify in option, the results will stay identical.
- Requesting a backend without any option will return messages from
Message posting system¶
The tribune can either be used from the web interface or via remote client applications.
Remote client applications¶
Remote clients can send a new message directly within a POST request and by putting the
content in a content
argument.
- Validated messages from a request without
last_id
defined return an empty Http200 response in plain-text; - Validated messages from a request with
last_id
defined return the last updated backend (from the known last id); - Unvalid message return an Http error.
If last_id
is given in the POST request it will be used instead of GET argument.
All POST response for validated message return a X-Post-Id header that contain the ID of the new message.
Url arguments options can be given for the POST request and they will be used for the returned backend in case of success.
In fact, remote client applications should always give the
last_id
option (taken from the last message they know just before sending the POST
request) to receive only messages they didn’t know (and not the whole backend).
Dealing with errors¶
- This is not really an error, but remote backend returns a Http304 (NotModified) when you try to fetch a backend with no new message;
- If the POST request is invalidated (with the form), the returned response will be a Http400 (Bad Request) with an explanation in Ascii;
- A Http404 is returned when you try to use a channel remote backend that doesn’t exists;
- You could receive a Http500 (Internal Server Error) in case of bugs or bad configured server;
- Sometimes you can receive a Http403 if you try to use a restricted command but there are not implemented yet.
Message filtering system¶
All users (registred and anonymous) can manage their own entries for filtering messages on various pattern. These filters are stored in the user session in an object called BaK as Boîte à Kons (eg: Idiots box) which is persistent in your session.
That being so, a user can lose its session (after a very long inactivity or when logged out) so there are option to save the filters of your BaK in your profile in a database. So you can load them in your session when needed.
There is two ways to manage filters from your bak :
- You can use the easy way which always assumes you use an exact pattern, this is the purpose of options add and del than expects only two arguments, a target and the pattern;
- Or you can use the verbose way which expects three arguments respectively the target, the kind and the pattern, this is the purpose of options set and remove;
Available arguments¶
- target
The part of the message which will be used to apply the filter, available targets are :
ua
for the user-agent;author
for the author username only effective for messages from registered users;message
for the message in his raw version (as it was posted).
- kind
The kind of matching filter that will be used. Only used in the verbose way options, for the easy way this is always forced to an exact matching.
Kinds are written like operators, the available kinds are :
*=
for Case-sensitive containment test;|=
for Case-insensitive containment test;==
for Case-sensitive exact match;~=
for Case-insensitive exact match;^=
for Case-sensitive starts-with;$=
for Case-sensitive ends-with.
- pattern
- The pattern to match by the filter. This is a simple string and not a regex pattern. You can use space in your pattern without quoting it.
Options details¶
- add
The easy way to add a new filter. This requires two arguments, the target and the pattern like that :
/bak add author Badboy
- del
The easy way to drop a filter. This requires two arguments, the target and the pattern that you did have used, like that :
/bak del author Badboy
- set
The verbose way to add a new filter. This requires three arguments, the target, the kind operator and the pattern like that :
/bak set author == Badboy
- remove
The verbose way to drop a filter. This requires three arguments, the target, the kind operator and the pattern like that :
/bak remove author == Badboy
- save
To save your current filters in your session to your profile in database, this works only for registered users.
Saving your filters will overwrite all your previously saved filters, so if you just want to add new filters, load the previously saved filters before.
This is option does not require any argument :
/bak save
- load
To load your previously saved filters in your current session. If you already have filters in your current session this will overwrite them.
This is option does not requires any argument :
/bak load
- on
To enable message filtering using your filters in current session. A new session have message filtering enabled by default.
This is option does not requires any argument :
/bak on
- off
To disable message filtering using your filters in current session. The filters will not be dropped out of your session so you can enable them after if needed.
This is option does not requires any argument :
/bak off
- reset
To clear all your filters in current session. You can use this option followed after by a save action to clear your saved filters too.
This is option does not requires any argument :
/bak reset
Note
Messages filters will not be retroactive on displays on remote clients, only for new message to come after your command actions. So generally you will have to reload your client to see applied filters on messages posted before your command actions.