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__)
# 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()


# 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 definition.
    • class User
    • db.Model inheritance
    • init method
    • @property, @<column>.setter
    • create, read, update, delete methods

Notes

  • We need a constructor, init, method to create a User class
  • attributes: name, uid, password, dob
  • db.Model is an attribute of User class, inheriting data/functions in db.Model to build the User class
  • @property, getter, Create or Update (CRUD) --> add a user in db
  • @"name".setter, setter, (CRUD)
""" 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):
    __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()):
        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

    # 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
    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
    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
    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
    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

Notes

  • inside initUsers, you add attributes in when creating the user (name, uid...)
  • users are stored in a list
  • object = user.create() goes through each user and adds to SQLite Table
"""Database Creation and Testing """


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

        """Builds sample user/note(s) data"""
        for user in users:
            try:
                '''add user to table'''
                object = user.create()
                print(f"Created new uid {object.uid}")
            except:  # error raised if object nit created
                '''fails with bad or duplicate data'''
                print(f"Records exist uid {user.uid}, or error.")
                
initUsers()
Records exist uid toby, or error.
Records exist uid niko, or error.
Records exist uid lex, or error.
Records exist uid whit, or error.
Records exist uid indi, or error.
Records exist uid raven, or error.

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

Notes

  • query: a search to find something
  • find_by_uid(uid) see if it matches
  • check_credentials(uid, password), use one object to find another object (check if userid is same --> checks if password is same, if userid is not matching, the function does not happen) 2 layers of checking, each parameter
def find_by_uid(uid):
    with app.app_context():
        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
    if (user.is_password(password)):
        return True
    return False
        
check_credentials("indi", "123qwerty")
True

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

Notes

  • Adding new users with user input, you have to enter each attribute
import sqlite3

def create():
    # optimize user time to see if uid exists
    uid = input("Enter your user id:")
    user = find_by_uid(uid)
    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")
    
    # 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'")
    try:
        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():
        try:
            object = user.create()
            print("Created\n", object.read())
        except:  # error raised if object not created
            print("Unknown error uid {uid}")
        
create()
Created
 {'id': 10, 'name': 'Oakley Anda', 'uid': 'oakley23', 'dob': '08-19-2023', 'age': -1}

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

Notes

  • we use json because you can convert into each language, it is a universal translator
# SQLAlchemy extracts all users from database, turns each user into JSON
def read():
    with app.app_context():
        table = User.query.all()
    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': '03-14-2023',
  'age': 0},
 {'id': 3,
  'name': 'Alexander Graham Bell',
  'uid': 'lex',
  'dob': '03-14-2023',
  'age': 0},
 {'id': 4,
  'name': 'Eli Whitney',
  'uid': 'whit',
  'dob': '03-14-2023',
  '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},
 {'id': 7,
  'name': 'joselyn anda',
  'uid': 'jesa06',
  'dob': '01-15-2006',
  'age': 17},
 {'id': 8,
  'name': 'Elly Anda',
  'uid': 'ellyaa1',
  'dob': '01-19-2012',
  'age': 11},
 {'id': 10,
  'name': 'Oakley Anda',
  'uid': 'oakley23',
  'dob': '08-19-2023',
  'age': -1}]

Updating users table in sqlite.db

Uses SQLALchemy

def update():
    # optimize user time to see if uid exists
    uid = input("Enter your user id:")
    user = find_by_uid(uid)
    try:
        print("Found\n", user.read())
    except:
        pass # keep going
    
    # request value that ensure creating valid object
    password = input("Enter your new password")
    
    # write object to database
    with app.app_context():
        try:
            object = user.update()
            print("Updated\n", object.read())
        except:  # error raised if object not created
            print("Unknown error uid {uid}")
        
update()
Found
 {'id': 10, 'name': 'Oakley Anda', 'uid': 'oakley23', 'dob': '08-19-2023', 'age': -1}
Updated
 {'id': 10, 'name': 'Oakley Anda', 'uid': 'oakley23', 'dob': '08-19-2023', 'age': -1}
import sqlite3
database = 'instance/sqlite.db'

def update():
    uid = input("Enter user id to update")
    password = input("Enter updated password")
    if len(password) < 2:
        message = "hacked"
        password = 'placementpassword'
    else:
        message = "successfully updated"

    # Connect to the database file
    conn = sqlite3.connect(database)

    # Create a cursor object to execute SQL commands
    cursor = conn.cursor()

    try:
        # Execute an SQL command to update data in a table
        cursor.execute("UPDATE users SET _password = ? WHERE _uid = ?", (password, uid))
        if cursor.rowcount == 0:
            # The uid was not found in the table
            print(f"No uid {uid} was not found in the table")
        else:
            print(f"The row with user id {uid} the password has been {message}")
            conn.commit()
    except sqlite3.Error as error:
        print("Error while executing the UPDATE:", error)
        
    
    # Close the cursor and connection objects
    cursor.close()
    conn.close()
    
update()
The row with user id ellyaa1 the password has been successfully updated

Deleting users table in sqlite.db

Uses SQLALchemy

def delete():
    # optimize user time to see if uid exists
    uid = input("Enter the user id you want to delete:")
    user = find_by_uid(uid)
    try:
        print("Found\n", user.read())
    except:
        pass # keep going
       
    
    # write object to database
    with app.app_context():
        try:
            user.delete()
            print("Deleted\n", uid)
        except:  # error raised if object not created
            print("Unknown error uid {uid}")
        
delete()
Found
 {'id': 9, 'name': '', 'uid': '', 'dob': '03-19-2023', 'age': 0}
Deleted
 

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.