create_basic_permission.txt

.. _create-basic-permission:

=========================
Create a basic permission
=========================

.. index::
    single: autodiscover
    single: permissions.py
    single: BasePermission

Where to store permissions?
===========================

First of all: All following permission classes should be placed in a file
called ``permissions.py`` in your application. For the  *why* please have a
look on `How permissions are discovered`_.

Basic permissions
=================

Let's start with an example::

    import authority
    from authority import permissions
    from django.contrib.flatpages.models import Flatpage

    class FlatpagePermission(permissions.BasePermission):
        label = 'flatpage_permission'

    authority.register(Flatpage, FlatpagePermission)

Let's have a look at the code above. First of, if you want to create a new
permission you have to subclass it from the BasePermission class::

    from authority import permissions
    class FlatpagePermission(permissions.BasePermission):
        # ...

Next, you need to name this permission using the ``label`` attribute::

    class FlatpagePermission(permissions.BasePermission):
        label = 'flatpage_permission'

And finally you need to register the permission with the pool of all other
permissions::

    authority.register(Flatpage, FlatpagePermission)

The syntax of this is simple::

    authority.register(<model>, <permission_class>)

While this is not much code, you already wrapped Django's basic permissions
(add_flatpage, change_flatpage, delete_flatpage) for the model ``Flatpage``
and you are ready to use it within your templates or code:

.. note:: See `Django's basic permissions`_ how Django creates this permissions for you.

.. _Django's basic permissions: http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/topics/auth/#permissions


Example permission checks
=========================

This section shows you how to check for Django's basic permissions with
django-authority.

In your python code
-------------------
::

    def my_view(request):
        check = FlatPagePermission(request.user)
        if check.change_flatpage():
            print "Yay, you can change a flatpage!"

Using the view decorator
------------------------
::

    from authority.decorators import permission_required_or_403

    @permission_required_or_403('flatpage_permission.change_flatpage')
    def my_view(request):
        # ...

See :ref:`check-decorator` how the decorator works in detail.

In your templates
-----------------
::

    {% ifhasperm "flatpage_permission.change_flatpage" request.user %}
        Yay, you can change a flatpage!
    {% else %}
        Nope, sorry. You aren't allowed to change a flatpage.
    {% endifhasperm %}

See :ref:`check-templates` how the templatetag works in detail.

How permissions are discovered
==============================

On first runtime of your Django project ``authority.autodiscover()`` will
load all ``permissions.py`` files that are in your ``settings.INSTALLED_APPS``
applications. See :ref:`configuration` how to set up ``autodiscover``.

.. image:: .static/authority-permission-py.png
   :align: left

We encourage you to place your permission classes in a file called
``permissions.py`` inside your application directories. This will not only
keep your application files clean, but it will also load  every permission
class at runtime when used with ``authority.autodiscover()``.

If you really want, you can place these permission-classes in other files
that are loaded at runtime. ``__init__.py`` or ``models.py`` are such files.