python-zope.keyreference 3.6.4-0ubuntu1 / usr / share / pyshared / zope / keyreference / persistent.txt

=====================================
Key References for Persistent Objects
=====================================

`zope.keyreference.persistent.KeyReferenceToPersistent` provides an
`zope.keyreference.interfaces.IKeyReference` reference for persistent
objects.

Let's look at an example. First, we'll create some persistent objects
in a database:

    >>> from ZODB.MappingStorage import DB
    >>> import transaction
    >>> from persistent.mapping import PersistentMapping

    >>> db = DB()
    >>> conn = db.open()
    >>> root = conn.root()

    >>> root['ob1'] = PersistentMapping()
    >>> root['ob2'] = PersistentMapping()

    >>> transaction.commit()

Then we'll create some key references:

    >>> from zope.keyreference.persistent import KeyReferenceToPersistent

    >>> key1 = KeyReferenceToPersistent(root['ob1'])
    >>> key2 = KeyReferenceToPersistent(root['ob2'])

We can call the keys to get the objects:

    >>> key1() is root['ob1'], key2() is root['ob2']
    (True, True)

New keys to the same objects are equal to the old:

    >>> KeyReferenceToPersistent(root['ob1']) == key1
    True

and have the same hashes:

    >>> hash(KeyReferenceToPersistent(root['ob1'])) == hash(key1)
    True

Other key reference implementations are differed by their key type id.
Key references should sort first on their key type and second on any
type-specific information:

    >>> from zope.interface import implements
    >>> from zope.keyreference.interfaces import IKeyReference

    >>> class DummyKeyReference(object):
    ...     implements(IKeyReference)
    ...     key_type_id = 'zope.app.keyreference.object'
    ...     def __init__(self, obj):
    ...         self.object = obj
    ...     def __cmp__(self, other):
    ...          if self.key_type_id == other.key_type_id:
    ...              return cmp(self.object, other.object)
    ...          return cmp(self.key_type_id, other.key_type_id)

    >>> dummy_key1 = DummyKeyReference(object())
    >>> dummy_key2 = DummyKeyReference(object())
    >>> dummy_key3 = DummyKeyReference(object())

    >>> keys = [key1, dummy_key1, dummy_key2, key2, dummy_key3]
    >>> keys.sort()
    >>> key_type_ids = [key.key_type_id for key in keys]
    >>> key_type_ids[0:3].count('zope.app.keyreference.object')
    3
    >>> key_type_ids[3:].count('zope.app.keyreference.persistent')
    2

We'll store the key references in the database:

    >>> root['key1'] = key1
    >>> root['key2'] = key2

and use the keys to store the objects again:

    >>> root[key1] = root['ob1']
    >>> root[key2] = root['ob2']

    >>> transaction.commit()

Now we'll open another connection:

    >>> conn2 = db.open()

And verify that we can use the keys to look up the objects:

    >>> root2 = conn2.root()
    >>> key1 = root2['key1']
    >>> root2[key1] is root2['ob1']
    True
    >>> key2 = root2['key2']
    >>> root2[key2] is root2['ob2']
    True

and that we can also call the keys to get the objects:

    >>> key1() is root2['ob1']
    True
    >>> key2() is root2['ob2']
    True

We can't get the key reference for an object that hasn't been saved
yet:

    >>> KeyReferenceToPersistent(PersistentMapping())
    ... # doctest: +ELLIPSIS
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...
    NotYet: ...

Note that we get a NotYet error. This indicates that we might be able
to get a key reference later.

We can get references to unsaved objects if they have an adapter to
`ZODB.interfaces.IConnection`.  The `add` method on the connection
will be used to give the object an object id, which is enough
information to compute the reference.  To see this, we'll create an
object that conforms to `IConnection` in a silly way:

    >>> import persistent
    >>> from ZODB.interfaces import IConnection
    >>> class C(persistent.Persistent):
    ...     def __conform__(self, iface):
    ...         if iface is IConnection:
    ...             return conn2

    >>> ob3 = C()
    >>> key3 = KeyReferenceToPersistent(ob3)
    >>> transaction.abort()

Conflict Resolution
-------------------

During conflict resolution, as discussed in ZODB/ConflictResolution.txt,
references to persistent objects are actually instances of
ZODB.ConflictResolution.PersistentReference.  This is pertinent in two ways
for KeyReferenceToPersistent.  First, it explains a subtlety of the class: it
does not inherit from persistent.Persistent.  If it did, it would not be
available for conflict resolution, just its PersistentReference stand-in.

Second, it explains some of the code in the __hash__ and __cmp__
methods. These methods not only handle persistent.Persistent objects,
but PersistentReference objects.  Without this behavior, objects, such
as the classic ZODB BTrees, that use KeyReferenceToPersistent as keys or
set members will be unable to resolve conflicts.  Even with the special
code, in some cases the KeyReferenceToPersistent will refuse to compare
and hash during conflict resolution because it cannot reliably do so.

__hash__ will work relatively rarely during conflict resolution: only for
multidatabase references.  Here are a couple of examples.

    >>> from ZODB.ConflictResolution import PersistentReference

    >>> def factory(ref):
    ...     res = KeyReferenceToPersistent.__new__(
    ...         KeyReferenceToPersistent, ref)
    ...     res.object = ref
    ...     return res
    ...

    >>> hash(factory(PersistentReference(
    ...     ('an oid', 'class metadata')))) # a typical reference
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...
    ValueError: database name unavailable at this time

    >>> bool(hash(factory(PersistentReference(
    ...     ['m', ('a database', 'an oid', 'class metadata')])))) # multidatabase
    True

This means that KeyReferenceToPersistent will often hinder conflict resolution
for classes such as PersistentMapping.

__cmp__ works unless one object is a multidatabase reference and the other is
not.  Here are a few examples.

    >>> cmp(factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ('an oid', 'class metadata'))),
    ...     factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ('an oid', 'class metadata'))))
    0

    >>> cmp(factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ('an oid', 'class metadata'))),
    ...     factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ('another oid', 'class metadata'))))
    -1

    >>> cmp(factory(PersistentReference('an oid')),
    ...     factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ('an oid', 'class metadata'))))
    0

    >>> cmp(factory(PersistentReference('an oid')),
    ...     factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ('an oid', 'class metadata'))))
    0

    >>> cmp(factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ['m', ('a database', 'an oid', 'class metadata')])),
    ...     factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ['m', ('a database', 'an oid', 'class metadata')])))
    0

    >>> cmp(factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ['m', ('a database', 'an oid', 'class metadata')])),
    ...     factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ['n', ('a database', 'an oid')])))
    0

    >>> cmp(factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ['m', ('a database', 'an oid', 'class metadata')])),
    ...     factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ['m', ('another database', 'an oid', 'class metadata')])))
    -1

    >>> cmp(factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ['m', ('a database', 'an oid', 'class metadata')])),
    ...     factory(PersistentReference(
    ...         ('an oid', 'class metadata'))))
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...
    ValueError: cannot sort reliably

Location-based connection adapter
---------------------------------

The function `zope.keyreference.connectionOfPersistent` adapts
objects to connections using a simple location-based heuristic. It
checked to see if the object has a `__parent__` that has a connection:

    >>> from zope.keyreference.persistent import connectionOfPersistent
    >>> ob3 = PersistentMapping()
    >>> print connectionOfPersistent(ob3)
    None

    >>> ob3.__parent__ = root2['ob1']
    >>> connectionOfPersistent(ob3) is conn2
    True