What's new in CubicWeb 4.0?

============================

Behavior Changes

----------------

* The anonymous property of Session and Connection are now computed from the

  related user login. If it match the ``anonymous-user`` in the config the

  connection is anonymous. Beware that the ``anonymous-user`` config is web

  specific. Therefore, no session may be anonymous in repository only setup.

New Repository Access API

-------------------------

Connection replace Session

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A new explicite Connection object replace Session as the main repository entry

point. Connection hold all the necessary methods to be used Server side

(``execute``, ``commit``, ``rollback``, ``call_service``, ``entity_from_eid``,

etc…). You obtains a new Connection object using ``session.new_cnx()``.

Connection object need have an explicite begin and end. Use them as a context

manager::

    with session.new_cnx() as cnx:

        self.execute('INSERT Elephant E, E name "Cabar"')

        self.commit()

        self.execute('INSERT Elephant E, E name "Celeste"')

        self.commit()

    # Once you get out of the "with" clause, the connection is closed.

Using the same Connection object in multiple threads will give you access to the

same Transaction. However, Connection object are not thread safe.

``repository.internal_session`` is deprecated in favor of

``repository.internal_cnx``. Note that internal connection are now safe.

Integrity hooks are enabled.

Backward compact is preserved on Session. They can still be used to access the

database for the next few version.

dbapi vs repoapi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A new API have been introduced to replace the dbapi. It is called "repoapi".

there is three relevant function for now:

``repoapi.get_repository(config)`` takes a config object and return credential

``repoapi.connect(repo, **credential)`` return a ClientConnection associated to

the user identified by the credential. The ClientConnection is associated to its

own Session that is closed when the ClientConnection is closed. A

ClientConnection is a Connection-like object to be used client side.

``repoapi.anonymous_cnx(repo)`` return a ClientConnection associated to the

anonymous user if describe in the Config.

repoapi.ClientConnection replace dbapi.Connection and company

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the client/web side, the Request is now using a ``repoapi.ClientConnection``

instead of a ``dbapi.connection``. The ``ClientConnection`` have multiple backward

compat method to looks like a ``dbapi.Cursor`` and ``dbapi.Connection``. It will

remain that way for a few version.

Session used on the Web side are now the same than the one used Server side.

Some backward compat method have been installed on the server side Session to

ease the transition.

The authentification stack have been altered to use the ``repoapi`` instead of

the ``dbapi``. Cubes adding new element in this stack are likely to break.

New API in test

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All current methods and attributes used to access the repo on ``CubicwebTC`` are

deprecated. You can now use a ``RepoAccess`` object. A ``RepoAccess`` object is

linked to a new ``Session`` for a specified user. It is able to create

``Connection``, ``ClientConnection`` and web side request linked to this

session::

    access =self.new_access("babar") # create a new RepoAccess for user babar

    with access.repo_cnx() as cnx:

        # some work with server side cnx

        cnx.execute(…)

        cnx.commit()

        cnx.execute(…)

        cnx.commit()

    with access.client_cnx() as cnx:

        # some work with client side cnx

        cnx.execute(…)

        cnx.commit()

    with access.web_request(elephant="babar") as req:

        # some work with client side cnx

        elephant_name = req.form["elephant"]

        req.execute(…)

        req.cnx.commit()

By default ``testcase.admin_access`` contains a ``RepoAccess`` object for the

default admin session.

API changes

-----------

* ``RepositorySessionManager.postlogin`` is now called with two arguments,

  request and session. And this now happens before the session is linked to the

  request.

* ``SessionManager`` and ``AuthenticationManager`` now take a repo object at

  initialization time instead of a vreg.

* The ``async`` argument of ``_cw.call_service`` have been dropped. All call are

  now  synchronous. The zmq notification bus looks like a good replacement for

  most async usecase.

* ``repo.stats()`` is now deprecated. The same information are available through

  a service (``_cw.call_service('repo_stats')``)

* ``repo.gc_stats()`` is now deprecated. The same information are available through

  a service (``_cw.call_service('repo_gc_stats')``)

* ``request.set_session`` no longer takes an optional ``user`` argument.

* CubicwebTC does not have repo and cnx as class attributes anymore. They are

  standard instance attributes. ``set_cnx`` and ``_init_repo`` class methods

  become instance methods.

* ``set_cnxset`` and ``free_cnxset`` are deprecated. cnxset are now

  automatically managed.

Deprecated Code Drops

----------------------

* The ldapuser source has been dropped. ldapfeed is the only official source

  remaining for ldap.

* session.hijack_user mechanism has been dropped.