Database and SQLAlchemy

In this blog we will explore using programs with data, focused on Databases. We will use SQLite Database to learn more about using Programs with Data. Use Debugging through these examples to examine Objects created in Code.

  • College Board talks about ideas like

    • Program Usage. "iterative and interactive way when processing information"
    • Managing Data. "classifying data are part of the process in using programs", "data files in a Table"
    • Insight "insight and knowledge can be obtained from ... digitally represented information"
    • Filter systems. 'tools for finding information and recognizing patterns"
    • Application. "the preserve has two databases", "an employee wants to count the number of book"
  • PBL, Databases, Iterative/OOP

    • Iterative. Refers to a sequence of instructions or code being repeated until a specific end result is achieved
    • OOP. A computer programming model that organizes software design around data, or objects, rather than functions and logic
    • SQL. Structured Query Language, abbreviated as SQL, is a language used in programming, managing, and structuring data

Imports and Flask Objects

Defines and key object creations

  • Comment on where you have observed these working? Provide a defintion of purpose.
    1. Flask app object
    2. SQLAlchemy db object
"""
These imports define the key objects
"""

from flask import Flask
from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy

"""
These object and definitions are used throughout the Jupyter Notebook.
"""

# Setup of key Flask object (app)

app = Flask(__name__) # initializes the Flask object we are going to use

# Setup SQLAlchemy object and properties for the database (db)
database = 'sqlite:///sqlite.db'  # path and filename of database
app.config['SQLALCHEMY_TRACK_MODIFICATIONS'] = False
app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'] = database
app.config['SECRET_KEY'] = 'SECRET_KEY'

db = SQLAlchemy()
# initializes the database with SQLAlchemy

# This belongs in place where it runs once per project
db.init_app(app)

Model Definition

Define columns, initialization, and CRUD methods for users table in sqlite.db

  • Comment on these items in the class, purpose and defintion.
    • class User
    • db.Model inheritance
    • init method
    • @property, @<column>.setter
    • create, read, update, delete methods
""" database dependencies to support sqlite examples """
import datetime
from datetime import datetime
import json

from sqlalchemy.exc import IntegrityError
from werkzeug.security import generate_password_hash, check_password_hash


''' Tutorial: https://www.sqlalchemy.org/library.html#tutorials, try to get into a Python shell and follow along '''

# Define the User class to manage actions in the 'users' table
# -- Object Relational Mapping (ORM) is the key concept of SQLAlchemy
# -- a.) db.Model is like an inner layer of the onion in ORM
# -- b.) User represents data we want to store, something that is built on db.Model
# -- c.) SQLAlchemy ORM is layer on top of SQLAlchemy Core, then SQLAlchemy engine, SQL
class User(db.Model):

    # 1) this is a User object that is a class which is used to define properties of the user with variables
    # 2) db.Model is inherited towards the specific user on which the instance that it is created, storing the data needed

    __tablename__ = 'users'  # table name is plural, class name is singular

    # Define the User schema with "vars" from object
    id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True)
    _name = db.Column(db.String(255), unique=False, nullable=False)
    _uid = db.Column(db.String(255), unique=True, nullable=False)
    _password = db.Column(db.String(255), unique=False, nullable=False)
    _dob = db.Column(db.Date)

    # constructor of a User object, initializes the instance variables within object (self)
    def __init__(self, name, uid, password="123qwerty", dob=datetime.today()):

    # 3) this method is used to initialize the properties and state of the instance which is running, in this case setting the variables that will be used to store the data into the database

        self._name = name    # variables with self prefix become part of the object, 
        self._uid = uid
        self.set_password(password)
        if isinstance(dob, str):  # not a date type     
            dob = date=datetime.today()
        self._dob = dob

    # 4) @property defines a property for the database model which is accessed like an attribute, but is actually a method
    # 5) @<column>.setter is a method that defines the value of the database column
    # 4-5) both of these are used to initialize the data that will be placed into the database

    # a name getter method, extracts name from object
    @property
    def name(self):
        return self._name
    
    # a setter function, allows name to be updated after initial object creation
    @name.setter
    def name(self, name):
        self._name = name
    
    # a getter method, extracts uid from object
    @property
    def uid(self):
        return self._uid
    
    # a setter function, allows uid to be updated after initial object creation
    @uid.setter
    def uid(self, uid):
        self._uid = uid
        
    # check if uid parameter matches user id in object, return boolean
    def is_uid(self, uid):
        return self._uid == uid
    
    @property
    def password(self):
        return self._password[0:10] + "..." # because of security only show 1st characters

    # update password, this is conventional method used for setter
    def set_password(self, password):
        """Create a hashed password."""
        self._password = generate_password_hash(password, method='sha256')

    # check password parameter against stored/encrypted password
    def is_password(self, password):
        """Check against hashed password."""
        result = check_password_hash(self._password, password)
        return result
    
    # dob property is returned as string, a string represents date outside object
    @property
    def dob(self):
        dob_string = self._dob.strftime('%m-%d-%Y')
        return dob_string
    
    # dob setter, verifies date type before it is set or default to today
    @dob.setter
    def dob(self, dob):
        if isinstance(dob, str):  # not a date type     
            dob = date=datetime.today()
        self._dob = dob
    
    # age is calculated field, age is returned according to date of birth
    @property
    def age(self):
        today = datetime.today()
        return today.year - self._dob.year - ((today.month, today.day) < (self._dob.month, self._dob.day))
    
    # output content using str(object) is in human readable form
    # output content using json dumps, this is ready for API response
    def __str__(self):
        return json.dumps(self.read())

    # CRUD create/add a new record to the table
    # returns self or None on error

    # 6) these methods are used to add, update, delete, and remove data from the database of stored values

    # 6) create: is used to make a new instance of the database and add information to it

    def create(self):
        try:
            # creates a person object from User(db.Model) class, passes initializers
            db.session.add(self)  # add prepares to persist person object to Users table
            db.session.commit()  # SqlAlchemy "unit of work pattern" requires a manual commit
            return self
        except IntegrityError:
            db.session.remove()
            return None

    # CRUD read converts self to dictionary
    # returns dictionary

    # 6) read: is used to retrieve specified instances from the database and send them to the frontend

    def read(self):
        return {
            "id": self.id,
            "name": self.name,
            "uid": self.uid,
            "dob": self.dob,
            "age": self.age,
        }

    # CRUD update: updates user name, password, phone
    # returns self

    # 6) update: is used to modify existing information in the database

    def update(self, name="", uid="", password=""):
        """only updates values with length"""
        if len(name) > 0:
            self.name = name
        if len(uid) > 0:
            self.uid = uid
        if len(password) > 0:
            self.set_password(password)
        db.session.commit()
        return self

    # CRUD delete: remove self
    # None

    # 6) delete: is used to remove existing information from the database

    def delete(self):
        db.session.delete(self)
        db.session.commit()
        return None
    

Initial Data

Uses SQLALchemy db.create_all() to initialize rows into sqlite.db

  • Comment on how these work?
    1. Create All Tables from db Object
    2. User Object Constructors
    3. Try / Except
"""Database Creation and Testing """


# Builds working data for testing
def initUsers():
    with app.app_context():
        """Create database and tables"""

        # 1) this adds all of the info into the database through the create function, adding in info based on the setters and getters of the User object defined

        db.create_all()
        """Tester data for table"""
        u1 = User(name='Thomas Edison', uid='toby', password='123toby', dob=datetime(1847, 2, 11))
        u2 = User(name='Nikola Tesla', uid='niko', password='123niko')
        u3 = User(name='Alexander Graham Bell', uid='lex', password='123lex')
        u4 = User(name='Eli Whitney', uid='whit', password='123whit')
        u5 = User(name='Indiana Jones', uid='indi', dob=datetime(1920, 10, 21))
        u6 = User(name='Marion Ravenwood', uid='raven', dob=datetime(1921, 10, 21))


        users = [u1, u2, u3, u4, u5, u6]

        # 2) this creates a new instance for each user, creating the user data into an object and adding it into the database

        """Builds sample user/note(s) data"""
        for user in users:

            # 3) try means that this block of code will be run but may result in some exceptions

            try:
                '''add user to table'''
                object = user.create()
                print(f"Created new uid {object.uid}")
            
            # 4) except means that once everything is tried and if exceptions are met, this code will run, which in this case will result in an error message

            except:  # error raised if object nit created
                '''fails with bad or duplicate data'''
                print(f"Records exist uid {user.uid}, or error.")
                
initUsers()
Created new uid toby
Created new uid niko
Created new uid lex
Created new uid whit
Created new uid indi
Created new uid raven

Check for given Credentials in users table in sqlite.db

Use of ORM Query object and custom methods to identify user to credentials uid and password

  • Comment on purpose of following
    1. User.query.filter_by
    2. user.password
def find_by_uid(uid):
    with app.app_context():

        # 1) this searches through all of the data objects based on the specifies variable, which in this case is the user id
        # in this case, this program code is used to search for the user id that is entered

        user = User.query.filter_by(_uid=uid).first()
    return user # returns user object

# Check credentials by finding user and verify password
def check_credentials(uid, password):
    # query email and return user record
    user = find_by_uid(uid)
    if user == None:
        return False
    
    # 2) this checks if the password that is entered by the user and that matches with the object that they selected
    # is the password matches, then True is returned

    if (user.is_password(password)):
        return True
    return False
        
#check_credentials("indi", "123qwerty")

Create a new User in table in Sqlite.db

Uses SQLALchemy and custom user.create() method to add row.

  • Comment on purpose of following
    1. user.find_by_uid() and try/except
    2. user = User(...)
    3. user.dob and try/except
    4. user.create() and try/except
def create():
    # optimize user time to see if uid exists
    uid = input("Enter your user id:")

    # 1) this searches through the objects created in the database based on the request that is given by searching for a certain user id

    user = find_by_uid(uid)

    # 1) this tries to see if the user id matches up with a uid in the database and if it does, then it returns True, if it doesn't then it keeps searching

    try:
        print("Found\n", user.read())
        return
    except:
        pass # keep going
    
    # request value that ensure creating valid object
    name = input("Enter your name:")
    password = input("Enter your password")
    
    # 2) this sets the User object and the variables that store the data inside the object

    # Initialize User object before date
    user = User(name=name, 
                uid=uid, 
                password=password
                )
    
    # create user.dob, fail with today as dob
    dob = input("Enter your date of birth 'YYYY-MM-DD'")

    # 3) tries to format the date that is inputted by the user and then puts it in the database
    # if the date isn't formatted correctly, an error is returned to the user

    try:

        # 3) this defines the date that is entered to the user object and formats it into the correct sequence

        user.dob = datetime.strptime(dob, '%Y-%m-%d').date()
    except ValueError:
        user.dob = datetime.today()
        print(f"Invalid date {dob} require YYYY-mm-dd, date defaulted to {user.dob}")
           
    # write object to database
    with app.app_context():

        # 4) this attempts to create a user based on the data given and if the data doesn't match up the data is rejected and an error is given

        try:

            # 4) the user is created and assigned to the variable `object`

            object = user.create()
            print("Created\n", object.read())
        except:  # error raised if object not created
            print("Unknown error uid {uid}")
        
create()
Invalid date  require YYYY-mm-dd, date defaulted to 03-20-2023
Created
 {'id': 7, 'name': '', 'uid': '', 'dob': '03-20-2023', 'age': 0}

Reading users table in sqlite.db

Uses SQLALchemy query.all method to read data

  • Comment on purpose of following
    1. User.query.all
    2. json_ready assignment, google List Comprehension
# SQLAlchemy extracts all users from database, turns each user into JSON
def read():
    with app.app_context():

        # 1) this goes through the entire user object created and reads all of the data that is in the database, outputting it

        table = User.query.all()
    
    # 2) this assigns the data into a JSON format to be sent to the frontend without additional formatting by the program
    # google list comprehension is the way that lists are created in Python and manipulated for future use within Google's codebase

    json_ready = [user.read() for user in table] # "List Comprehensions", for each user add user.read() to list
    return json_ready

read()
[{'id': 1,
  'name': 'Thomas Edison',
  'uid': 'toby',
  'dob': '02-11-1847',
  'age': 176},
 {'id': 2,
  'name': 'Nikola Tesla',
  'uid': 'niko',
  'dob': '03-16-2023',
  'age': 0},
 {'id': 3,
  'name': 'Alexander Graham Bell',
  'uid': 'lex',
  'dob': '03-16-2023',
  'age': 0},
 {'id': 4,
  'name': 'Eli Whitney',
  'uid': 'whit',
  'dob': '03-16-2023',
  'age': 0},
 {'id': 5,
  'name': 'Indiana Jones',
  'uid': 'indi',
  'dob': '10-21-1920',
  'age': 102},
 {'id': 6,
  'name': 'Marion Ravenwood',
  'uid': 'raven',
  'dob': '10-21-1921',
  'age': 101}]

Hacks

  • Add this Blog to you own Blogging site. In the Blog add notes and observations on each code cell.
  • Change blog to your own database.
  • Add additional CRUD
    • Add Update functionality to this blog.
    • Add Delete functionality to this blog.
from flask import Flask
from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy

app = Flask(__name__)
dbURI = 'sqlite:///instance/cars.db'
app.config["SQLALCHEMY_TRACK_MODIFICATIONS"] = False
app.config["SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI"] = dbURI
app.config["SECRET_KEY"] = "SECRET_KEY"
db = SQLAlchemy(app)

db.init_app(app)

from sqlalchemy import Column, Integer, String

class Car(db.Model):
    # defining table
    __tablename__ = "car"
    id = Column(Integer, primary_key=True)
    _manufacturer = Column(Integer, nullable=False)
    _model = Column(String(255), nullable=False)
    _price = Column(Integer, nullable=False)

    # initialization
    def __init__(self, manufacturer, model, price):
        self._manufacturer = manufacturer
        self._model = model
        self._price = price

    def __repr__(self):
        return "<Timer(id='%s', manufacturer='%s', model='%s', price='%s')>" % (
            self.id,
            self.manufacturer,
            self.model,
            self.price
        )

    @property
    def manufacturer(self):
        return self._manufacturer

    @manufacturer.setter
    def text(self, manufacturer):
        self._text = manufacturer

    @property
    def model(self):
        return self._model

    @model.setter
    def model(self, model):
        self._text = model

    @property
    def price(self):
        return self._price

    @price.setter
    def price(self, value):
        self._price = value

    def to_dict(self):
        return {"id": self.id, "manufacturer": self.manufacturer, "model": self.model, "price": self.price}

def init_cars():
    car1 = Car(manufacturer="lamborghini", model="Superveloce Jota", price=517770)
    car2 = Car(manufacturer="ferrari", model=" SF90 Stradale", price=528765)
    car3 = Car(manufacturer="nissan", model="GT-R", price=116040)
    car4 = Car(manufacturer="mazda", model="MX-5", price=29115)
    car5 = Car(manufacturer="bmw", model="M5", price=105695)
    db.session.add(car1)
    db.session.add(car2)
    db.session.add(car3)
    db.session.add(car4)
    db.session.add(car5)

    db.session.commit()

db.create_all()
init_cars()

from flask import Blueprint, request
from flask_restful import Api, Resource, reqparse

car_bp = Blueprint("car", __name__)
car_api = Api(car_bp)


class CarAPI(Resource):
    def get(self):
        id = request.args.get("id")
        car = db.session.query(Car).get(id)
        if car:
            return car.to_dict()
        return {"message": "car not found"}, 404

    def post(self):
        parser = reqparse.RequestParser()
        parser.add_argument("manufacturer", required=True, type=str)
        parser.add_argument("model", required=False, type=str)
        parser.add_argument("price", required=False, type=int)
        
        args = parser.parse_args()

        car = Car(args["manufacturer"], args["model"], args["price"])
        try:
            db.session.add(car)
            db.session.commit()
            return car.to_dict(), 201
        except Exception as e:
            db.session.rollback()
            return {"message": f"server error: {e}"}, 500

    def put(self):
        parser = reqparse.RequestParser()
        parser.add_argument("id", required=True, type=int)
        args = parser.parse_args()

        try:
            car = db.session.query(Car).get(args["id"])
            if car:
                car.started = False
                db.session.commit()
            else:
                return {"message": "car not found"}, 404
        except Exception as e:
            db.session.rollback()
            return {"message": f"server error: {e}"}, 500

    def delete(self):
        parser = reqparse.RequestParser()
        parser.add_argument("id", required=True, type=int)
        args = parser.parse_args()

        try:
            car = db.session.query(Car).get(args["id"])
            if car:
                db.session.delete(car)
                db.session.commit()
                return car.to_dict()
            else:
                return {"message": "car not found"}, 404
        except Exception as e:
            db.session.rollback()
            return {"message": f"server error: {e}"}, 500


class CarListAPI(Resource):
    def get(self):
        cars = db.session.query(Car).all()
        return [car.to_dict() for car in cars]

    def delete(self):
        try:
            db.session.query(Car).delete()
            db.session.commit()
            return []
        except Exception as e:
            db.session.rollback()
            return {"message": f"server error: {e}"}, 500
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
RuntimeError                              Traceback (most recent call last)
/home/davidv/vscode/fastpages/_notebooks/2023-03-13-AP-unit2-4a.ipynb Cell 16 in <cell line: 11>()
      <a href='vscode-notebook-cell://wsl%2Bubuntu/home/davidv/vscode/fastpages/_notebooks/2023-03-13-AP-unit2-4a.ipynb#X21sdnNjb2RlLXJlbW90ZQ%3D%3D?line=7'>8</a> app.config["SECRET_KEY"] = "SECRET_KEY"
      <a href='vscode-notebook-cell://wsl%2Bubuntu/home/davidv/vscode/fastpages/_notebooks/2023-03-13-AP-unit2-4a.ipynb#X21sdnNjb2RlLXJlbW90ZQ%3D%3D?line=8'>9</a> db = SQLAlchemy(app)
---> <a href='vscode-notebook-cell://wsl%2Bubuntu/home/davidv/vscode/fastpages/_notebooks/2023-03-13-AP-unit2-4a.ipynb#X21sdnNjb2RlLXJlbW90ZQ%3D%3D?line=10'>11</a> db.init_app(app)
     <a href='vscode-notebook-cell://wsl%2Bubuntu/home/davidv/vscode/fastpages/_notebooks/2023-03-13-AP-unit2-4a.ipynb#X21sdnNjb2RlLXJlbW90ZQ%3D%3D?line=12'>13</a> from sqlalchemy import Column, Integer, String
     <a href='vscode-notebook-cell://wsl%2Bubuntu/home/davidv/vscode/fastpages/_notebooks/2023-03-13-AP-unit2-4a.ipynb#X21sdnNjb2RlLXJlbW90ZQ%3D%3D?line=14'>15</a> class Car(db.Model):
     <a href='vscode-notebook-cell://wsl%2Bubuntu/home/davidv/vscode/fastpages/_notebooks/2023-03-13-AP-unit2-4a.ipynb#X21sdnNjb2RlLXJlbW90ZQ%3D%3D?line=15'>16</a>     # defining table

File ~/anaconda3/lib/python3.9/site-packages/flask_sqlalchemy/extension.py:253, in SQLAlchemy.init_app(self, app)
    233 """Initialize a Flask application for use with this extension instance. This
    234 must be called before accessing the database engine or session with the app.
    235 
   (...)
    250 :param app: The Flask application to initialize.
    251 """
    252 if "sqlalchemy" in app.extensions:
--> 253     raise RuntimeError(
    254         "A 'SQLAlchemy' instance has already been registered on this Flask app."
    255         " Import and use that instance instead."
    256     )
    258 app.extensions["sqlalchemy"] = self
    260 if self._add_models_to_shell:

RuntimeError: A 'SQLAlchemy' instance has already been registered on this Flask app. Import and use that instance instead.