[Zope-dev] Fw: [Zope-dev] Storing session objects in a ZODB

Chris McDonough chrism@digicool.com
Wed, 31 Jan 2001 14:28:09 -0500


This is a forwarding of an interesting session-related discussion between
Andy and I... it covers the idea of storing session states as "snapshots" at
a particular time, later allowing users to select a session state.  This is
useful if you wish to allow users to make incremental changes to data in a
session and "bookmark" a session state for later copying into the current
session.  This is something that the "bare" session tracking stuff won't do
for you, although it can facilitate it tremendously.

Input welcomed!

- C

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy McKay" <andym@ActiveState.com>
To: "Chris McDonough" <chrism@digicool.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2001 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Zope-dev] Storing session objects in a ZODB


> > I think you may be trying to use sessions to do something that sessions
> > don't do.  You can *use* the sessioning machinery as a base to build the
> > infrastructure to do such a thing, but it won't do it out of the box.  I
> am
> > currently trying to build an "onSessionStart" and "onSessionEnd" event
> into
> > session data objects.  If you had this capability, an arbitrary Python
> > method (or DTML method or external method) could be called when a
session
> > data object is created and when it expires.  If you were to make use of
> > these hooks to copy the state of the session data object into another
> > structure (related to the currently logged in user - a "checkpoint" if
you
> > will), you could build a catalog of session states that could be
recopied
> > into the current session namespace.
> >
> > Alternately, you could forego the use of events and just have a button
> that
> > says "save session state" somewhere, and copy the contents of the
session
> > namespace into something else.  Then when a user wanted to choose a
> session
> > state, copy it back into the current session namespace.  This is the
same
> > idea, it just lets the user be explicit about what session state he
wants
> to
> > use instead of depending on the event hook to create a new state.
>
> Bingo, yes that's it!
>
> > Does this make sense?  Can I cc this to Zope-Dev so we can get some
> > discussion about it?
>
> Absolutely!
>
> --
>   Andy McKay.
>
> >
> >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Chris McDonough" <chrism@digicool.com>
> > > To: "Andy McKay" <andym@ActiveState.com>
> > > Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 9:53 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [Zope-dev] Storing session objects in a ZODB
> > >
> > >
> > > > Andy,
> > > >
> > > > I'm still not sure why you wouldn't set up an external data
> container..
> > if
> > > > you want, you can call me at 540-371-6909 if you think you can
explain
> > it
> > > > better over the phone...
> > > >
> > > > - C
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Andy McKay" <andym@ActiveState.com>
> > > > To: "Chris McDonough" <chrism@digicool.com>
> > > > Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 12:28 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: [Zope-dev] Storing session objects in a ZODB
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Well each user rummages through a site and saves preferences, I
use
> > > these
> > > > > preferences for displaying things in a certain manner, generating
> SQL
> > > etc.
> > > > > Since some of these SQL statements get quite complex, it would be
> nice
> > > to
> > > > be
> > > > > to able to pull saved session x which has a query that "looks up
by
> x
> > by
> > > y
> > > > > excluding z" etc...
> > > > >
> > > > > So anyway I like using the ZODB for this kind of storage since
it's
> of
> > > low
> > > > > volume and a large amount of reads and the users want to use
> > acquisition
> > > > to
> > > > > the full (we have a wacky hierarchy). If I could pull that into a
> text
> > > > area
> > > > > to allow level editing then that would be an added bonus...
> > > > >
> > > > > Did that make sense?
> > > > > --
> > > > >   Andy McKay.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "Chris McDonough" <chrism@digicool.com>
> > > > > To: "Andy McKay" <andym@ActiveState.com>
> > > > > Sent: Monday, January 29, 2001 5:49 PM
> > > > > Subject: Re: [Zope-dev] Storing session objects in a ZODB
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > > Sure but users want to be able acess and manipulate the stored
> > > session
> > > > > > > objects, without them being loaded... Im going for a bike ride
> to
> > > > think
> > > > > > > about this one.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Erm.  What?  :-)  Can you give me an example?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>