Merge pull request #1122 from thecourseforum/django_session

Django session

Author: Jay-Lalwani

tcf_core/context_processors.py

@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 """Inject extra context to TCF templates."""
 
-import ast
-
 from django.conf import settings
 
 from tcf_website.models import Discipline, Semester, Subdepartment
@@ -16,53 +14,25 @@ def base(request):
     }
 
 
-def history_cookies(request):
-    """Puts history from cookies into context variables."""
-    if "previous_paths" in request.COOKIES:
-        previous_paths = request.COOKIES["previous_paths"]
-        previous_paths = ast.literal_eval(previous_paths)
-    else:
-        previous_paths = ""
-
-    if "previous_paths_titles" in request.COOKIES:
-        previous_paths_titles = request.COOKIES["previous_paths_titles"]
-        previous_paths_titles = ast.literal_eval(previous_paths_titles)
-    else:
-        previous_paths_titles = ""
-
-    previous_paths_titles = [title[:80] + "..." for title in previous_paths_titles]
-
-    previous_paths_and_titles = None
-    if len(previous_paths) > 0 and len(previous_paths_titles) > 0:
-        previous_paths_and_titles = zip(previous_paths, previous_paths_titles)
-
-    return {
-        "previous_paths": previous_paths,
-        "previous_path_titles": previous_paths_titles,
-        "previous_paths_and_titles": previous_paths_and_titles,
-    }
-
-
 def searchbar_context(request):
     """Provide context for the search bar."""
     latest_semester = Semester.latest()
     recent_semesters = Semester.objects.filter(
         number__gte=latest_semester.number - 50  # 50 = 5 years * 10 semesters
     ).order_by("-number")
 
-    # Get saved filters from the session (or use defaults)
-    saved_filters = request.session.get("search_filters", {})
-
+    # No longer use session to store filters
+    # Empty defaults are provided instead
     context = {
         "disciplines": Discipline.objects.all().order_by("name"),
         "subdepartments": Subdepartment.objects.all().order_by("mnemonic"),
         "semesters": recent_semesters,
-        "selected_disciplines": saved_filters.get("disciplines", []),
-        "selected_subdepartments": saved_filters.get("subdepartments", []),
-        "selected_weekdays": saved_filters.get("weekdays", []),
-        "from_time": saved_filters.get("from_time", ""),
-        "to_time": saved_filters.get("to_time", ""),
-        "open_sections": saved_filters.get("open_sections", False),
-        "min_gpa": saved_filters.get("min_gpa", 0.0),
+        "selected_disciplines": [],
+        "selected_subdepartments": [],
+        "selected_weekdays": [],
+        "from_time": "",
+        "to_time": "",
+        "open_sections": False,
+        "min_gpa": 0.0,
     }
     return context

tcf_core/settings/base.py

@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@
                 "django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth",
                 "django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages",
                 "tcf_core.context_processors.base",
-                "tcf_core.context_processors.history_cookies",
                 "tcf_core.context_processors.searchbar_context",
             ],
         },

tcf_core/settings/record_middleware.py

@@ -1,50 +1,23 @@
 """Middleware for recording cookie information."""
 
-import ast
-
 
 class RecordMiddleware:  # pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
-    """Records information about course section info into cookies."""
+    """
+    Previously recorded course section info into cookies.
+    Now does nothing as this functionality has been moved to client-side
+    localStorage to avoid polluting Django sessions.
+    """
 
     def __init__(self, get_response):
         self.get_response = get_response
 
     def __call__(self, request):
-        if "previous_paths_titles" in request.COOKIES:
-            previous_paths = request.COOKIES["previous_paths"]
-            # Converts string representation of list into list object
-            previous_paths = ast.literal_eval(previous_paths)
-
-            previous_paths_titles = request.COOKIES["previous_paths_titles"]
-            # Converts string representation of list into list object
-            previous_paths_titles = ast.literal_eval(previous_paths_titles)
-        else:
-            previous_paths = []
-            previous_paths_titles = []
-
+        # Process the request and get response
         response = self.get_response(request)
-        if (
-            check_path(request.path)
-            and request.session.get("instructor_fullname") is not None
-        ):
-            previous_paths.insert(0, request.build_absolute_uri())
-            previous_paths = list(dict.fromkeys(previous_paths))
-
-            title = request.session.get("course_code")
-            if request.session.get("instructor_fullname") is not None:
-                title += " - " + request.session.get("instructor_fullname")
-            title += " - " + request.session.get("course_title")
-
-            previous_paths_titles.insert(0, title)
-            previous_paths_titles = list(dict.fromkeys(previous_paths_titles))
 
-            # Keeps top 10 items in list
-            if len(previous_paths) > 10:
-                previous_paths = previous_paths[:10]
-                previous_paths_titles = previous_paths_titles[:10]
+        # We no longer set cookies for history tracking
+        # All history is now managed via localStorage in the browser
 
-            response.set_cookie("previous_paths", previous_paths)
-            response.set_cookie("previous_paths_titles", previous_paths_titles)
         return response
 
 

tcf_website/static/common/recently_viewed.js

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+/**
+ * This file handles the recently viewed courses/instructors using localStorage
+ * It replaces the server-side session storage with client-side storage
+ */
+
+document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function () {
+  // Check if we're on a course page by looking for course code and title in the page
+  saveCourseInfoIfPresent();
+});
+
+/**
+ * Saves course information to localStorage if we're on a course or course-instructor page
+ */
+function saveCourseInfoIfPresent() {
+  // Find course information in the page
+  // This is adapting the session-based logic from browse.py and course_instructor views
+  const courseCode = document.querySelector(
+    'meta[name="course-code"]',
+  )?.content;
+  const courseTitle = document.querySelector(
+    'meta[name="course-title"]',
+  )?.content;
+
+  if (!courseTitle) {
+    return; // Not on a course or club page, or missing required data
+  }
+
+  // Get current URL
+  const currentUrl = window.location.href;
+
+  // Create the title in the same format as the server-side code
+
+  let title = "";
+
+  if (courseCode) {
+    title += courseCode + " | ";
+  }
+
+  title += courseTitle;
+
+  // Get existing history from localStorage
+  let previousPaths = [];
+  let previousPathsTitles = [];
+
+  try {
+    const savedPaths = localStorage.getItem("previous_paths");
+    const savedTitles = localStorage.getItem("previous_paths_titles");
+
+    if (savedPaths && savedTitles) {
+      previousPaths = JSON.parse(savedPaths);
+      previousPathsTitles = JSON.parse(savedTitles);
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error("Error loading history from localStorage:", e);
+  }
+
+  // Insert at beginning and remove duplicates
+  // First check if the title already exists in the array
+  const existingIndex = previousPathsTitles.indexOf(title);
+  if (existingIndex !== -1) {
+    // If the title exists, remove both the title and its corresponding path
+    previousPathsTitles.splice(existingIndex, 1);
+    previousPaths.splice(existingIndex, 1);
+  }
+
+  // Add the new path and title at the beginning
+  previousPaths.unshift(currentUrl);
+  previousPathsTitles.unshift(title);
+
+  // Keep only the top 10 items
+  if (previousPaths.length > 10) {
+    previousPaths = previousPaths.slice(0, 10);
+    previousPathsTitles = previousPathsTitles.slice(0, 10);
+  }
+
+  // Save back to localStorage
+  localStorage.setItem("previous_paths", JSON.stringify(previousPaths));
+  localStorage.setItem(
+    "previous_paths_titles",
+    JSON.stringify(previousPathsTitles),
+  );
+}