django-notifications/README.rst

``django-notifications`` Documentation
=======================================


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`django-notifications <https://github.com/django-notifications/django-notifications>`_ is a GitHub notification alike app for Django, it was derived from `django-activity-stream <https://github.com/justquick/django-activity-stream>`_

The major difference between ``django-notifications`` and ``django-activity-stream``:

* ``django-notifications`` is for building something like Github "Notifications"
* While ``django-activity-stream`` is for building Github "News Feed"

Notifications are actually actions events, which are categorized by four main components.

* ``Actor``. The object that performed the activity.
* ``Verb``. The verb phrase that identifies the action of the activity.
* ``Action Object``. *(Optional)* The object linked to the action itself.
* ``Target``. *(Optional)* The object to which the activity was performed.

``Actor``, ``Action Object`` and ``Target`` are ``GenericForeignKeys`` to any arbitrary Django object.
An action is a description of an action that was performed (``Verb``) at some instant in time by some ``Actor`` on some optional ``Target`` that results in an ``Action Object`` getting created/updated/deleted.

For example: `justquick <https://github.com/justquick/>`_ ``(actor)`` *closed* ``(verb)`` `issue 2 <https://github.com/justquick/django-activity-stream/issues/2>`_ ``(action_object)`` on `activity-stream <https://github.com/justquick/django-activity-stream/>`_ ``(target)`` 12 hours ago

Nomenclature of this specification is based on the Activity Streams Spec: `<http://activitystrea.ms/specs/atom/1.0/>`_

Requirements
============

- Python 2.7, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5
- Django 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 2.0

Installation
============

Installation is easy using ``pip`` and will install all required libraries.

::

    $ pip install django-notifications-hq

or get it from source

::

    $ git clone https://github.com/django-notifications/django-notifications
    $ cd django-notifications
    $ python setup.py sdist
    $ pip install dist/django-notifications-hq*a

Note that `django-model-utils <http://pypi.python.org/pypi/django-model-utils>`_ will be installed: this is required for the pass-through QuerySet manager.

Then to add the Django Notifications to your project add the app ``notifications`` to your ``INSTALLED_APPS`` and urlconf.

The app should go somewhere after all the apps that are going to be generating notifications like ``django.contrib.auth``

::

    INSTALLED_APPS = (
        'django.contrib.auth',
        ...
        'notifications',
        ...
    )

Add the notifications urls to your urlconf::

    import notifications.urls

    urlpatterns = [
        ...
        url('^inbox/notifications/', include(notifications.urls, namespace='notifications')),
        ...
    ]

The method of installing these urls, importing rather than using ``'notifications.urls'``, is required to ensure that the urls are installed in the ``notifications`` namespace.

To run schema migration, execute ``python manage.py migrate notifications``.

Generating Notifications
=========================

Generating notifications is probably best done in a separate signal.

::

    from django.db.models.signals import post_save
    from notifications.signals import notify
    from myapp.models import MyModel

    def my_handler(sender, instance, created, **kwargs):
        notify.send(instance, verb='was saved')

    post_save.connect(my_handler, sender=MyModel)

To generate an notification anywhere in your code, simply import the notify signal and send it with your actor, recipient, and verb.

::

    from notifications.signals import notify

    notify.send(user, recipient=user, verb='you reached level 10')

The complete syntax is.

::

    notify.send(actor, recipient, verb, action_object, target, level, description, public, timestamp, **kwargs)

Arguments:
 * **actor**: An object of any type. (Required) Note: Use **sender** instead of **actor** if you intend to use keyword arguments
 * **recipient**: A **Group** or a **User QuerySet** or a list of **User**. (Required)
 * **verb**: An string. (Required)
 * **action_object**: An object of any type. (Optional)
 * **target**: An object of any type. (Optional)
 * **level**: One of Notification.LEVELS ('success', 'info', 'warning', 'error') (default=info). (Optional)
 * **description**: An string. (Optional)
 * **public**: An boolean (default=True). (Optional)
 * **timestamp**: An tzinfo (default=timezone.now()). (Optional)

Extra data
----------

You can attach arbitrary data to your notifications by doing the following:

* Add to your settings.py: ``DJANGO_NOTIFICATIONS_CONFIG = { 'USE_JSONFIELD': True}``

Then, any extra arguments you pass to ``notify.send(...)`` will be attached to the ``.data`` attribute of the notification object.
These will be serialised using the JSONField's serialiser, so you may need to take that into account: using only objects that will be serialised is a good idea.

Soft delete
-----------

By default, ``delete/(?P<slug>\d+)/`` deletes specified notification record from DB.
You can change this behaviour to "mark ``Notification.deleted`` field as ``True``" by:

* Add to your settings.py: ``DJANGO_NOTIFICATIONS_CONFIG = { 'SOFT_DELETE': True}``

With this option, QuerySet methods ``unread`` and ``read`` contain one more filter: ``deleted=False``.
Meanwhile, QuerySet methods ``deleted``, ``active``, ``mark_all_as_deleted``, ``mark_all_as_active`` are turned on.
See more details in QuerySet methods section.

API
====

QuerySet methods
-----------------

Using ``django-model-utils``, we get the ability to add queryset methods to not only the manager, but to all querysets that will be used, including related objects. This enables us to do things like::

  Notification.objects.unread()

which returns all unread notifications. To do this for a single user, we can do::

  user = User.objects.get(pk=pk)
  user.notifications.unread()

There are some other QuerySet methods, too.

``qs.unsent()``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Return all of the unsent notifications, filtering the current queryset. (emailed=False)

``qs.sent()``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Return all of the sent notifications, filtering the current queryset. (emailed=True)

``qs.unread()``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Return all of the unread notifications, filtering the current queryset.
When ``SOFT_DELETE=True``, this filter contains ``deleted=False``.

``qs.read()``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Return all of the read notifications, filtering the current queryset.
When ``SOFT_DELETE=True``, this filter contains ``deleted=False``.


``qs.mark_all_as_read()`` | ``qs.mark_all_as_read(recipient)``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark all of the unread notifications in the queryset (optionally also filtered by ``recipient``) as read.


``qs.mark_all_as_unread()`` | ``qs.mark_all_as_unread(recipient)``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark all of the read notifications in the queryset (optionally also filtered by ``recipient``) as unread.

``qs.mark_as_sent()`` | ``qs.mark_as_sent(recipient)``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark all of the unsent notifications in the queryset (optionally also filtered by ``recipient``) as sent.


``qs.mark_as_unsent()`` | ``qs.mark_as_unsent(recipient)``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark all of the sent notifications in the queryset (optionally also filtered by ``recipient``) as unsent.

``qs.deleted()``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Return all notifications that have ``deleted=True``, filtering the current queryset.
Must be used with ``SOFT_DELETE=True``.

``qs.active()``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Return all notifications that have ``deleted=False``, filtering the current queryset.
Must be used with ``DELETE=True``.

``qs.mark_all_as_deleted()`` | ``qs.mark_all_as_deleted(recipient)``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark all notifications in the queryset (optionally also filtered by ``recipient``) as ``deleted=True``.
Must be used with ``DELETE=True``.

``qs.mark_all_as_active()`` | ``qs.mark_all_as_active(recipient)``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark all notifications in the queryset (optionally also filtered by ``recipient``) as ``deleted=False``.
Must be used with ``SOFT_DELETE=True``.


Model methods
-------------

``obj.timesince([datetime])``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A wrapper for Django's ``timesince`` function.

``obj.mark_as_read()``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark the current object as read.


Template tags
-------------

Put `{% load notifications_tags %}` in the template before you actually use notification tags.


``notifications_unread``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

::

    {% notifications_unread %}

Give the number of unread notifications for a user, or nothing (an empty string) for an anonymous user.

Storing the count in a variable for further processing is advised, such as::

    {% notifications_unread as unread_count %}
    ...
    {% if unread_count %}
        You have <strong>{{ unread_count }}</strong> unread notifications.
    {% endif %}

Live-updater API
================

To ensure users always have the most up-to-date notifications, `django-notifications` includes a simple javascript API
for updating specific fields within a django template.

There are two possible API calls that can be made:

1. ``api/unread_count/`` that returns a javascript object with 1 key: ``unread_count`` eg::

        {"unread_count":1}

#. ``api/unread_list/`` that returns a javascript object with 2 keys: `unread_count` and `unread_list` eg::

        {
         "unread_count":1,
         "unread_list":[--list of json representations of notifications--]
        }

   Representations of notifications are based on the django method: ``model_to_dict``

   Query string arguments:

   - **max** - maximum length of unread list.
   - **mark_as_read** - mark notification in list as read.

   For example, get ``api/unread_list/?max=3&mark_as_read=true`` returns 3 notifications and mark them read (remove from list on next request).


How to use:
-----------

1. Put ``{% load notifications_tags %}`` in the template before you actually use notification tags.
2. In the area where you are loading javascript resources add the following tags in the order below::

       <script src="{% static 'notifications/notify.js' %}" type="text/javascript"></script>
       {% register_notify_callbacks callbacks='fill_notification_list,fill_notification_badge' %}

   ``register_notify_callbacks`` takes the following arguments:

   1. ``badge_class`` (default ``live_notify_badge``) - The identifier `class` of the element to show the unread count, that will be periodically updated.
   #. ``menu_class`` (default ``live_notify_list``) - The identifier `class` of the element to insert a list of unread items, that will be periodically updated.
   #. ``refresh_period`` (default ``15``) - How often to fetch unread items from the server (integer in seconds).
   #. ``fetch`` (default ``5``) - How many notifications to fetch each time.
   #. ``callbacks`` (default ``<empty string>``) - A comma-separated list of javascript functions to call each period.
   #. ``api_name`` (default ``list``) - The name of the API to call (this can be either ``list`` or ``count``).

3. To insert a live-updating unread count, use the following template::

       {% live_notify_badge %}

   ``live_notify_badge`` takes the following arguments:

   1. ``badge_class`` (default ``live_notify_badge``) - The identifier ``class`` for the ``<span>`` element that will be created to show the unread count.

4. To insert a live-updating unread list, use the following template::

       {% live_notify_list %}

   ``live_notify_list`` takes the following arguments:

   1. ``list_class`` (default ``live_notify_list``) - The identifier ``class`` for the ``<ul>`` element that will be created to insert the list of notifications into.

Using the live-updater with bootstrap
-------------------------------------

The Live-updater can be incorporated into bootstrap with minimal code.

To create a live-updating bootstrap badge containing the unread count, simply use the template tag::

    {% live_notify_badge badge_class="badge" %}

To create a live-updating bootstrap dropdown menu containing a selection of recent unread notifications, simply use the template tag::

    {% live_notify_list list_class="dropdown-menu" %}

Customising the display of notifications using javascript callbacks
-------------------------------------------------------------------

While the live notifier for unread counts should suit most use cases, users may wish to alter how
unread notifications are shown.

The ``callbacks`` argument of the ``register_notify_callbacks`` dictates which javascript functions are called when
the unread api call is made.

To add a custom javascript callback, simply add this to the list, like so::

       {% register_notify_callbacks callbacks='fill_notification_badge,my_special_notification_callback' %}

The above would cause the callback to update the unread count badge, and would call the custom function `my_special_notification_callback`.
All callback functions are passed a single argument by convention called `data`, which contains the entire result from the API.

For example, the below function would get the recent list of unread messages and log them to the console::

    function my_special_notification_callback(data) {
        for (var i=0; i < data.unread_list.length; i++) {
            msg = data.unread_list[i];
            console.log(msg);
        }
    }

Testing the live-updater
------------------------

1. Clone the repo
2. Run `./manage.py runserver`
3. Browse to `yourserverip/test/`
4. Click 'Make a notification' and a new notification should appear in the list in 5-10 seconds.

Serializing the django-notifications Model
==========================================

See here - http://www.django-rest-framework.org/api-guide/relations/#generic-relationships

In this example the target object can be of type Foo or Bar and the appropriate serializer will be used.

::

    class GenericNotificationRelatedField(serializers.RelatedField):

        def to_representation(self, value):
            if isinstance(value, Foo):
                serializer = FooSerializer(value)
            if isinstance(value, Bar):
                serializer = BarSerializer(value)

            return serializer.data


    class NotificationSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
        recipient = PublicUserSerializer(User, read_only=True)
        unread = serializers.BooleanField(read_only=True)
        target = GenericNotificationRelatedField(read_only=True)

Thanks to @DaWy

Notes
=====

Email Notification
------------------

Sending email to users has not been integrated into this library. So for now you need to implement it if needed. There is a reserved field `Notification.emailed` to make it easier.


``django-notifications`` Team
==============================

Core contributors (in alphabetical order):

- `Alvaro Leonel <https://github.com/AlvaroLQueiroz>`_
- `Samuel Spencer <https://github.com/LegoStormtroopr>`_
- `Yang Yubo <https://github.com/yangyubo>`_
- `Zhongyuan Zhang <https://github.com/zhang-z>`_

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