django/docs/ref/template-response.txt

===========================================
TemplateResponse and SimpleTemplateResponse
===========================================

.. versionadded:: 1.3

.. module:: django.template.response
   :synopsis: Classes dealing with lazy-rendered HTTP responses.

Standard HttpResponse objects are static structures. They are provided
with a block of pre-rendered content at time of construction, and
while that content can be modified, it isn't in a form that makes it
easy to perform modifications.

However, it can sometimes be beneficial to allow decorators or
middleware to modify a response *after* it has been constructed by the
view. For example, you may want to change the template that is used,
or put additional data into the context.

TemplateResponse provides a way to do just that. Unlike basic
HttpResponse objects, TemplateResponse objects retain the details of
the template and context that was provided by the view to compute the
response. The final output of the response is not computed until
it is needed, later in the response process.

TemplateResponse objects
========================

.. class:: SimpleTemplateResponse()

Attributes
----------

.. attribute:: SimpleTemplateResponse.template_name

    The name of the template to be rendered. Accepts
    :class:`django.template.Template` object, path to template or list
    of paths.

    Example: ``['foo.html', 'path/to/bar.html']``

.. attribute:: SimpleTemplateResponse.context_data

    The context data to be used when rendering the template. It can be
    a dictionary or a context object.

    Example: ``{'foo': 123}``

.. attr:: SimpleTemplateResponse.rendered_content:

    The current rendered value of the response content, using the current
    template and context data.

.. attr:: SimpleTemplateResponse.is_rendered:

    A boolean indicating whether the response content has been rendered.


Methods
-------

.. method:: SimpleTemplateResponse.__init__(template, context=None, mimetype=None, status=None, content_type=None)

    Instantiates an
    :class:`~django.template.response.SimpleTemplateResponse` object
    with the given template, context, MIME type and HTTP status.

    ``template`` is a full name of a template, or a sequence of
    template names. :class:`django.template.Template` instances can
    also be used.

    ``context`` is a dictionary of values to add to the template
    context. By default, this is an empty dictionary.
    :class:`~django.template.Context` objects are also accepted as
    ``context`` values.

    ``status`` is the HTTP Status code for the response.

    ``content_type`` is an alias for ``mimetype``. Historically, this
    parameter was only called ``mimetype``, but since this is actually
    the value included in the HTTP ``Content-Type`` header, it can
    also include the character set encoding, which makes it more than
    just a MIME type specification. If ``mimetype`` is specified (not
    ``None``), that value is used. Otherwise, ``content_type`` is
    used. If neither is given, the ``DEFAULT_CONTENT_TYPE`` setting is
    used.


.. method:: SimpleTemplateResponse.resolve_context(context)

    Converts context data into a context instance that can be used for
    rendering a template. Accepts a dictionary of context data or a
    context object. Returns a :class:`~django.template.Context`
    instance containing the provided data.

    Override this method in order to customize context instantiation.

.. method:: SimpleTemplateResponse.resolve_template(template)

    Resolves the template instance to use for rendering. Accepts a
    path of a template to use, or a sequence of template paths.
    :class:`~django.template.Template` instances may also be provided.
    Returns the :class:`~django.template.Template` instance to be
    rendered.

    Override this method in order to customize template rendering.

.. method:: SimpleTemplateResponse.render():

    Sets :attr:`response.content` to the result obtained by
    :attr:`SimpleTemplateResponse.rendered_content`.

    :meth:`~SimpleTemplateResponse.render()` will only have an effect
    the first time it is called. On subsequent calls, it will return
    the result obtained from the first call.


.. class:: TemplateResponse()

   TemplateResponse is a subclass of :class:`SimpleTemplateResponse
   <django.template.response.SimpleTemplateResponse>` that uses
   RequestContext instead of Context.

.. method:: TemplateResponse.__init__(request, template, context=None, mimetype=None, status=None, content_type=None)

   Instantiates an ``TemplateResponse`` object with the given
   template, context, MIME type and HTTP status.

   ``request`` is a HttpRequest instance.

   ``template`` is a full name of a template to use or sequence of
   template names. :class:`django.template.Template` instances are
   also accepted.

   ``context`` is a dictionary of values to add to the template
   context. By default, this is an empty dictionary; context objects
   are also accepted as ``context`` values.

   ``status`` is the HTTP Status code for the response.

   ``content_type`` is an alias for ``mimetype``. Historically, this
   parameter was only called ``mimetype``, but since this is actually
   the value included in the HTTP ``Content-Type`` header, it can also
   include the character set encoding, which makes it more than just a
   MIME type specification. If ``mimetype`` is specified (not
   ``None``), that value is used. Otherwise, ``content_type`` is used.
   If neither is given, the ``DEFAULT_CONTENT_TYPE`` setting is used.


The rendering process
=====================

Before a :class:`TemplateResponse()` instance can be returned to the
client, it must be rendered. The rendering process takes the
intermediate representation of template and context, and turns it into
the final byte stream that can be served to the client.

There are three circumstances under which a TemplateResponse will be
rendered:

    * When the TemplateResponse instance is explicitly rendered, using
      the :meth:`SimpleTemplateResponse.render()` method.

    * When the content of the response is explicitly set by assigning
      :attr:`response.content`.

    * After passing through template response middleware, but before
      passing through response middleware.

A TemplateResponse can only be rendered once. The first call to
:meth:`SimpleTemplateResponse.render()` sets the content of the
response; subsequent rendering calls do not change the response
content.

However, when :attr:`response.content` is explicitly assigned, the
change is always applied. If you want to force the content to be
re-rendered, you can re-evaluate the rendered content, and assign
the content of the response manually::

    # Set up a baked TemplateResponse
    >>> t = TemplateResponse(request, 'original.html', {})
    >>> t.render()
    >>> print t.content
    Original content

    # Rebaking doesn't change content
    >>> t.template_name = 'new.html'
    >>> t.render()
    >>> print t.content
    Original content

    # Assigning content does change, no render() call required
    >>> t.content = t.rendered_content
    >>> print t.content
    New content

Using TemplateResponse and SimpleTemplateResponse
=================================================

A TemplateResponse object can be used anywhere that a normal
HttpResponse can be used. It can also be used as an alternative to
calling :method:`~django.shortcuts.render_to_response()`.

For example, the following simple view returns a
:class:`TemplateResponse()` with a simple template, and a context
containing a queryset::

    from django.template.response import TemplateResponse

    def blog_index(request):
        return TemplateResponse(request, 'entry_list.html', {'entries': Entry.objects.all()})