Building a Full Stack React Django Chat App with API Filtering

Building a Full Stack React Django Chat App with API Filtering

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Setting up Django DRF Authentication
3. Creating the Endpoint to Filter Servers by User
4. Understanding the Models and Associations
5. Utilizing Session Authentication
6. Filtering Servers by User ID
7. Creating Multiple Users for Testing
8. Accessing the User Table in the Admin Site
9. Visualizing the Factory Creation of Users
10. Testing the Filtered Server Endpoint
11. Troubleshooting the Query Set Construction

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will be focusing on the Django DRF Channels project DJ. We will learn how to Create an endpoint to filter servers by a specific user. This will allow us to display all the servers that a user is associated with, making it easier for them to access their servers. We will explore the process step by step, including setting up the authentication class, understanding the models and associations, and utilizing session authentication.

Setting up Django DRF Authentication

Before we can create the endpoint to filter servers by user, we need to set up the Django DRF authentication class. This class plays a crucial role in the authentication process, as it allows us to identify and authenticate the user accessing the resources. By default, Django projects have the session Middleware enabled, which utilizes session authentication. We will utilize this built-in authentication method to determine the user ID and authenticate the user.

Creating the Endpoint to Filter Servers by User

To filter servers by user, we need to create or extend an endpoint. This endpoint will take in the user ID as a parameter and return all the servers associated with that user. In our models, we have a field called "member" which associates users to servers. By filtering Based on the member field and the user ID, we can Show only the servers associated with the specific user. This endpoint will be useful for displaying the servers a user is associated with upon login.

Understanding the Models and Associations

In order to comprehend how the filtering system works, let's take a closer look at our models and associations. We have a user model and a server model, where the member field in the server model is used to associate users with servers. When a user chooses to become a member of a server, they are associated with that specific server. We will leverage this association to filter and display all the servers associated with a particular member.

Utilizing Session Authentication

Since We Are utilizing Django's session authentication, we can access the user's ID through the request data. This allows us to identify the logged-in user and utilize their ID in a query to filter servers. By default, the user should be able to access the resources if they are logged in and authenticated. We will make use of this authentication method to determine the user ID and proceed with the filtering process.

Filtering Servers by User ID

To filter servers by user, we will introduce a new parameter called "by_user". By passing a value of "true" or "force" to this parameter, we can specify whether we want to filter the servers by user or not. If the value is set to true, we can access the user ID through the request data and utilize it to filter the servers. This endpoint will prove to be valuable in displaying servers associated with a specific user upon login.

Creating Multiple Users for Testing

In order to test the functionality of filtering by user, we need to create multiple users. By having different users associated with different servers, we can verify that the endpoint is correctly filtering and displaying the servers. Let's create a couple of users, such as "admin" and "CPUcreate", and associate them with different servers to observe the results.

Accessing the User Table in the Admin Site

As we are utilizing a custom user model, we need to make some adjustments to access the user table in the admin site. By importing the user admin from "django.contrib.auth.admin" and registering the custom user model, we can view and manage the user table in the admin site. This step is not necessary for the filtering functionality, but it will allow us to easily Visualize and create users for testing purposes.

Visualizing the Factory Creation of Users

After making the necessary changes to access the user table in the admin site, we can create users using the admin interface. This step is not mandatory for the filtering process, but it provides a convenient way to create users without having to write additional code. By navigating to the admin site and adding a user, we can ensure that we have multiple users associated with different servers for testing the filtering functionality.

Testing the Filtered Server Endpoint

Now that we have set up the authentication class, created the endpoint, associated users with servers, and created multiple users, it's time to test the filtered server endpoint. By logging in as different users and accessing the endpoint, we can observe how it accurately filters and displays the servers associated with each user. This testing phase will validate the successful implementation of the filtering functionality.

Troubleshooting the Query Set Construction

In case You encounter any issues during the construction of the query set for filtering servers, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take. Double-check the ordering of the filters and ensure that the user filter is applied first before any other components. This will ensure that the filtering process is done in the correct order and returns the expected results. Additionally, pay Attention to any coding errors or typos that may hinder the query set construction.