Admin Interface¶

The main FileBrowser admin application is an extension for the Django admin interface in order to browser your media folder, upload and rename/delete files.

FileBrowser Site¶

class FileBrowserSite(name=None, app_name='filebrowser', storage=default_storage)¶

Respresents the FileBrowser admin application (similar to Django’s admin site).

Parameters

name – A name for the site, defaults to None.
app_name – Defaults to ‘filebrowser’.
storage – A custom storage engine, defaults to Djangos default storage.

Similar to django.contrib.admin, you first need to add a filebrowser.site to your admin interface. In your urls.py, import the default FileBrowser site (or your custom site) and add the site to your URL-patterns (before any admin-urls):

from filebrowser.sites import site

urlpatterns = patterns('',
   url(r'^adminurl/filebrowser/', include(site.urls)),
)

Now you are able to browse the location defined with the storage engine associated to your site.

from django.core.files.storage import DefaultStorage
from filebrowser.sites import FileBrowserSite

# Default FileBrowser site
site = FileBrowserSite(name='filebrowser', storage=DefaultStorage())

# My Custom FileBrowser site
custom_site = FileBrowserSite(name='custom_filebrowser', storage=DefaultStorage())
custom_site.directory = "custom_uploads/"

Note

The module variable site from filebrowser.sites is the default FileBrowser application.

Custom Actions¶

Similar to Django’s admin actions, you can define your FileBrowser actions and thus automate the typical tasks of your users. Registered custom actions are listed in the detail view of a file and a user can select a single action at a time. The selected action will then be applied to the file.

The default FileBrowser image actions, such as “Flip Vertical” or “Rotate 90° Clockwise” are in fact implemented as custom actions (see the module filebrowser.actions).

Writing Your Own Actions¶

Custom actions are simple functions:

def foo(request, fileobjects):
    # Do something with the fileobjects

The first parameter is a HttpRequest object (representing the submitted form in which a user selected the action) and the second parameter is a list of FileObjects to which the action should be applied.

The list contains exactly one instance of FileObject (representing the file from the detail view), but this may change in the future, as custom actions may become available also in browse views (similar to admin actions applied to a list of checked objects).

Registering an Action¶

In order to make your action visible, you need to register it with a FileBrowser site:

site.add_action(foo)

Once registered, the action will appear in the detail view of a file. You can also give your action a short description:

foo.short_description = 'Do foo with the File'

This short description will then appear in the list of available actions. If you do not provide a short description, the function name will be used instead and FileBrowser will replace any underscores in the function name with spaces.

Associating Actions with Specific Files¶

Each custom action can be associated with a specific file type (e.g., images, audio file, etc) to which it applies. In order to do that, you need to define a predicate/filter function, which takes a single argument (FileObject) and returns True if your action is applicable to that FileObject. Finally, you need to register this filter function with your action:

foo.applies_to(lambda fileobject: fileobject.filetype == 'Image')

In the above example, foo will appear in the action list only for image files. If you do not specify any filter function for your action, FileBrowser considers the action as applicable to all files.

Messages & Intermediate Pages¶

You can provide a feedback to a user about a successful or failed execution of an action by using a message. For example:

from django.contrib import messages

def desaturate_image(request, fileobjects):
    for f in fileobjects:
        # Desaturate the image
        messages.add_message(request, messages.SUCCESS, _("Image '%s' was desaturated.") % f.filename)

Some actions may require user confirmation (e.g., in order to prevent accidental and irreversible modification to files). In order to that, follow the same pattern as with Django’s admin action and return a HttpResponse object from your action. Good practice for intermediate pages is to implement a confirm view and have your action return HttpResponseRedirect:

def crop_image(request, fileobjects):
    files = '&f='.join([f.path_relative for f in fileobjects])
    return HttpResponseRedirect('/confirm/?action=crop_image&f=%s' % files)

File Storages¶

You have the option to specify which file storage engine a FileBrowser should use to browse/upload/modify your media files. This enables you to use a FileBrowser even if your media files are located at some remote system. See also the Django’s documentation on storages https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/topics/files/.

To associate a FileBrowser site with a particular storage engine, set the storage property of a site object:

from django.core.files.storage import FileSystemStorage
site.storage = FileSystemStorage(location='/path/to/media/directory', base_url='/media/')

For storage classes other than FileSystemStorage (or those that inherit from that class), there’s more effort involved in providing a storage object that can be used with FileBrowser. See StorageMixin Class

StorageMixin Class¶

A FileBrowser uses the Django’s Storage class to access media files. However, the API of the Storage class does not provide all methods necessary for FileBrowser’s functionality. A StorageMixin class from filebrowser.storage module therefore defines all the additional methods that a FileBrowser requires:

isdir(self, name)¶: Returns true if name exists and is a directory.

isfile(self, name)¶: Returns true if name exists and is a regular file.

move(self, old_file_name, new_file_name, allow_overwrite=False)¶: Moves safely a file from one location to another. If allow_ovewrite==False and new_file_name exists, raises an exception.

makedirs(self, name)¶: Creates all missing directories specified by name. Analogue to os.mkdirs().

Views¶

All views use the staff_member_requird and path_exists decorator in order to check if the server path actually exists. Some views also use the file_exists decorator.

Browse, fb_browse
Browse a directory on your server. Returns a FileListing.
- Optional query string args: dir, o, ot, q, p, filter_date, filter_type, type
Create directory, fb_createdir
Create a new folder on your server.
- Optional query string args: dir
- Signals: filebrowser_pre_createdir, filebrowser_post_createdir
Upload, fb_upload
Multiple upload.
- Optional query string args: dir, type
- Signals: filebrowser_pre_upload, filebrowser_post_upload
Edit, fb_edit
Edit a file or folder.
- Required query string args: filename
- Optional query string args: dir
- Signals: filebrowser_pre_rename, filebrowser_post_rename
You are able to apply custom actions (see Custom Actions) to the edit-view.
Confirm delete, fb_confirm_delete
Confirm the deletion of a file or folder.
- Required query string args: filename
- Optional query string args: dir
If you try to delete a folder, all files/folders within this folder are listed on this page.
Delete, fb_delete
Delete a file or folder.
- Required query string args: filename
- Optional query string args: dir
- Signals: filebrowser_pre_delete, filebrowser_post_delete

Warning

If you delete a Folder, all items within this Folder are being deleted.

Version, fb_version
Generate a version of an image as defined with ADMIN_VERSIONS.
- Required query string args: filename
- Optional Query string args: dir
This is a helper used by the FileBrowseField and TinyMCE for selecting a version.

Signals¶

The FileBrowser sends a couple of different signals. Please take a look at the module filebrowser.signals for further explanation on the provided arguments.

filebrowser_pre_upload
Sent before a an Upload starts.
filebrowser_post_upload
Sent after an Upload has finished.
filebrowser_pre_delete
Sent before an Item (File, Folder) is deleted.
filebrowser_post_delete
Sent after an Item (File, Folder) has been deleted.
filebrowser_pre_createdir
Sent before a new Folder is created.
filebrowser_post_createdir
Sent after a new Folder has been created.
filebrowser_pre_rename
Sent before an Item (File, Folder) is renamed.
filebrowser_post_rename
Sent after an Item (File, Folder) has been renamed.
filebrowser_actions_pre_apply
Sent before a custom action is applied.
filebrowser_actions_post_apply
Sent after a custom action has been applied.

Example for using these Signals¶

Here’s a small example for using the above Signals:

from filebrowser import signals

def pre_upload_callback(sender, **kwargs):
    """
    Receiver function called before an upload starts.
    """
    print "Pre Upload Callback"
    print "kwargs:", kwargs
signals.filebrowser_pre_upload.connect(pre_upload_callback)

def post_upload_callback(sender, **kwargs):
    """
    Receiver function called each time an upload has finished.
    """
    print "Post Upload Callback"
    print "kwargs:", kwargs
    # You can use all attributes available with the FileObject
    # This is just an example ...
    print "Filesize:", kwargs['file'].filesize
    print "Orientation:", kwargs['file'].orientation
    print "Extension:", kwargs['file'].extension
signals.filebrowser_post_upload.connect(post_upload_callback)