gae-flickrapp

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FlickrApp

FlickrApp is a simple base class to use with Google App Engine (GAE) packages that allows you to use Flickr as a Single Sign On (SSO) provider and validation service. As an extra bonus you get a Flickr API Auth token in the process!

Currently this class is designed (and tested) to work with the plain vanilla GAE/Django development environment. The next step is to ensure that is works with the AppDrop GAE/EC2 container.

CLASS METHODS

init(self, api_key, api_secret) Create a new FlickrApp object.

  Remember, this class is not meant to be used on it's own. Rather
  it is a base class that you subclass in your own application. For
  example:
  
      class MyFlickrApp (FlickrApp) :
  
        def init (self) :
          api_key = "this part is left to you"
          api_secret = "to squirt in to your application"
  
          FlickrApp.__init__(self, api_key, api_secret)

OBJECT METHODS YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT

check_logged_in(self, min_perms=None) Check to see if the current user is logged in. If not, force them to re-authenticate your application via the Flickr API Auth flow.

  Logged in is defined as having valid 'ffo' and 'fft' cookies.
  
  'ffo' cookies are constantly renewed for 30 days with each page
  view and map the current user to a user in the FlickrUser database.
  If the cookie is not present or does not validate this method
  returns False.
  
  'fft' cookies last the duration of the browser session and are
  used to ensure that the user has a token with a minimum permissions
  set. This is done by calling the flickr.auth.checkToken method. If
  the token does not match this method returns False.
  
  If both cookies validate, the object's 'user' key will be set and
  the method will return True.
  
  For example:
  
      class MyHandler (FlickrApp) :
  
        # Assume __init__ here...
        
        def get (self) :
          min_perms = 'read'
  
          if not self.check_logged_in(min_perms) :
            self.do_flickr_auth(min_perms)
            return
  
          self.response.out.write("Hi there %s" % self.user.username)

do_flickr_auth(self, min_perms=None) This method will generate and redirect the user to the Flickr API Auth endpoint where the user will be prompted to approve your request for a Flickr token (with 'min_perms' permissions).

do_token_dance(self, perms=None) This is the method you should call from your 'auth' handler; that is the URL that you tell the Flickr API Auth flow to redirect to once a user has authed your application (in magic Flickr land).

  It will check for a 'frob' parameter and then call the Flickr API
  and exchange it for a valid Flickr Auth token.
  
  If something goes wrong it will return False, otherwise it will
  redirect the user to your application's root URL (where presumably
  you are calling 'checked_logged_in').
  
  For example:
  
      class TokenFrobHandler (FlickrApp) :
  
          # Assume __init__ here
    
          def get (self):  
              try :
                  self.do_token_dance() :
              except Exception, e :
                  self.response.out.write("OH NOES! SOMETHING WENT WRONG!")

EVERYTHING ELSE

Everything is a bit up in the air still. The documentation will be updated when the dust settles.

REQUIREMENTS

Just the Google AppEngine (GAE) package itself.