django-add-comments

Add comments to a Django model via mixin:

# app/models.py
from comment.models import AbstractCommentable # import mixin
class Sentinel(AbstractCommentable): # add to class declaration
    """Any `app`, e.g. `essay`, `article`... can be 'commentable'."""
    title = models.CharField(max_length=50)

Setup

Load virtual env

.venv> poetry add django-add-comments # pip3 install django-add-comments

Will include dependencies from pyproject.toml:

python = "^3.8"
Django = "^4.0"
django-extensions = "^3.1.5"
django-crispy-forms = "^1.13.0"

Add app to project settings

# in project_folder/settings.py
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    ...,
    'crispy_forms',  # add crispy_forms at least > v1.13, if not yet added
    'comments' # this is the new django-comments folder
]

Add basic routes to urlpatterns

# in project_folder/urls.py
from django.urls import path, include # new
urlpatterns = [
    ...,
    path('comments/', include('comments.urls')) # routes for update, delete, view, toggle comment
]

Add Comment model to database

.venv> python manage.py migrate

Configuration

What we're going to do

>>> obj = Sentinel.objects.create(title="A sample title") # instance is made, e.g. id=1, id=2, etc.
>>> obj.add_comment_url # url to add a comment to `A sample title`

A sentinel is the model being commented on.

We've created a dummy Sentinel model to represent this construct.

Let's say we've initialized one model instance called obj with slug="a-sample-title".

What we'd like is the ability to write a comment to obj through a url represented by: obj.add_comment_url

@add_comment_url thus needs to become a property of the Sentinel model.

Add imports

# sentinels/models.py
from comments.models import AbstractCommentable # new
from django.template.response import TemplateResponse # new
from django.urls import reverse, URLPattern # new
from django.utils.functional import cached_property, classproperty # new

Make sentinel model inherit from abstract base model

# sentinels/models.py
class Sentinel(AbstractCommentable): # new
    ...

Add model properties

# sentinels/models.py
class Sentinel(AbstractCommentable):

    id = models.UUIDField ... # identifier is UUID
    slug = models.Slugfield ...

    @cached_property # copy this to the sentinel model, note `slug` as identifier
    def add_comment_url(self) -> str:
        return self.set_add_comment_url(self.slug)

    @classmethod # copy this to the sentinel model, note `slug` as identifier
    def add_comment_func(cls, request, slug: str) -> TemplateResponse:
        target = cls.objects.get(slug=slug)
        return cls.allow_commenting_form_on_target_instance(request, target)

    @classproperty # copy this to the sentinel model, note `slug` as identifier
    def add_comment_path(cls) -> URLPattern:
        return cls.set_add_comment_path("<slug:slug>", cls.add_comment_func)

Gotcha: if pk is identifier, revise <slug:slug> to <pk:int> above:

1. self.set_add_comment_url(self.pk)
2. def add_comment_func(cls, request, pk: int):
3. target = cls.objects.get(pk=pk)
4. cls.set_add_comment_path("<int:pk>", cls.add_comment_func)

Add sentinel namespaced url for adding comments

Add path to the sentinel's url patterns:

# sentinels/urls.py
from .models import Sentinel
from .apps import SentinelConfig # already pre-made during `python manage.py startapp sentinels`
app_name = SentinelConfig.name # remember the `app_name` in relation to the `add_comment_url` property
url_patterns = [
    Sentinel.add_comment_path, # This is really just a shortcut to a created path.
    ...
]

Add template tag for displaying comment form with list of added comments

Add template tag to sentinel's template to show form with list

<!-- sentinels/templates/sentinel_detail.html -->
<h1>Title: {{ object.title }}</h1>
{% load comments %} <!-- see templatetags/comments.py which contains `object.add_comment_url`  -->
{% list_comments sentinel_target_obj=object head_label='Add an Answer'%}
<!-- the `object` is whatever variable passed to the template, the head_label provides an ability to label the items to be inputted. The default is 'Add a Comment' -->

The form that represents this "add comment" action / url will be loaded in every comment list. See context in template tag.