Editing the ev.py API, removing db_* manager shortcuts in favour of a 'managers' container holding them all. It makes the API slightly less "flat", but makes for a cleaner interface.

contrib/menu_login.py

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ the initial splash screen.
 import re
 import traceback
 from django.conf import settings
-from ev import db_players, db_serverconfigs, db_channels
+from ev import managers
 from ev import utils, logger, create_player
 from ev import Command, CmdSet
 from ev import syscmdkeys
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class CmdUsernameSelect(Command):
     locks = "cmd:all()"
     def func(self):
         "Execute the command"
-        player = db_players.get_player_from_name(self.args)
+        player = managers.players.get_player_from_name(self.args)
         if not player:
             self.caller.msg("{rThis account name couldn't be found. Did you create it? If you did, make sure you spelled it right (case doesn't matter).{n")
             self.menutree.goto("node1a")
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class CmdPasswordSelect(Command):
             return
 
         # before going on, check eventual bans
-        bans = db_serverconfigs.conf("server_bans")
+        bans = managers.serverconfigs.conf("server_bans")
         if bans and (any(tup[0]==player.name for tup in bans)
                      or
                      any(tup[2].match(player.sessions[0].address[0]) for tup in bans if tup[2])):
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class CmdUsernameCreate(Command):
 its and @/./+/-/_ only.{n") # this echoes the restrictions made by django's auth module.
             self.menutree.goto("node2a")
             return
-        if db_players.get_player_from_name(playername):
+        if managers.players.get_player_from_name(playername):
             self.caller.msg("\n\r {rAccount name %s already exists.{n" % playername)
             self.menutree.goto("node2a")
             return
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ class CmdPasswordCreate(Command):
             # join the new player to the public channel
             pchanneldef = settings.CHANNEL_PUBLIC
             if pchanneldef:
-                pchannel = db_channels.get_channel(pchanneldef[0])
+                pchannel = managers.channels.get_channel(pchanneldef[0])
                 if not pchannel.connect_to(new_player):
                     string = "New player '%s' could not connect to public channel!" % new_player.key
                     logger.log_errmsg(string)

ev.py

@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
 
 Central API for the Evennia MUD/MUX/MU* creation system.
 
-This basically a set of shortcuts to the main modules in src/. Import this
+This basically a set of shortcuts to the main modules in src/. Import this from your code or
-from your code or explore it interactively from ./manage.py shell (or a normal
+explore it interactively from a python shell.
-python shell if you set DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE manually).
 
 Notes:
 
@@ -20,21 +19,29 @@ Notes:
 
     But trying to import CmdLook directly with "from ev.default_cmds import CmdLook" will
     not work since default_cmds is a property on the "ev" module, not a module of its own.
- 2) db_* are shortcuts to initiated versions of Evennia's django database managers (e.g.
+
-    db_objects is an alias for ObjectDB.objects). These allows for exploring the database in
+ 2) "managers" is a container object that contains shortcuts to initiated versions of Evennia's django
-    various ways. Please note that the evennia-specific methods in the managers return
+    database managers (e.g. managers.objects is an alias for ObjectDB.objects). These allow
-    typeclasses (or lists of typeclasses), whereas the default django ones (filter etc)
+    for exploring the database in various ways. To use in code, do 'from ev import managers', then
+    access the managers on the managers object. Please note that the evennia-specific methods in
+    managers return typeclasses (or lists of typeclasses), whereas the default django ones (filter etc)
     return database objects. You can convert between the two easily via dbobj.typeclass and
     typeclass.dbobj, but it's worth to remember this difference.
- 3) You -have- to use the create_* functions (shortcuts to src.utils.create) to create new
+
+ 3) "syscmdkeys" is a container object holding the names of system commands. Import with
+    'from ev import syscmdkeys', then access the variables on the syscmdkeys object.
+
+ 4) You -have- to use the create_* functions (shortcuts to src.utils.create) to create new
     Typeclassed game entities (Objects, Scripts or Players). Just initializing e.g. the Player class will
     -not- set up Typeclasses correctly and will lead to errors. Other types of database objects
     can be created normally, but there are conveniant create_* functions for those too, making
     some more error checking.
- 4) "settings" links to Evennia's game/settings file. "settings_full" shows all of django's available
+
+ 5) "settings" links to Evennia's game/settings file. "settings_full" shows all of django's available
     settings. Note that you cannot change settings from here in a meaningful way, you need to update
     game/settings.py and restart the server.
- 5) The API accesses all relevant and most-neeeded functions/classes from src/, but might not
+
+ 6) The API accesses all relevant and most-neeeded functions/classes from src/, but might not
     always include all helper-functions referenced from each such entity. To get to those, access
     the modules in src/ directly. You can always do this anyway, if you do not want to go through
     this API.
@@ -43,8 +50,10 @@ Notes:
 
 import sys, os
 
+######################################################################
 # Stop erroneous direct run (would give a traceback since django is
 #  not yet initialized)
+######################################################################
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     info = __doc__ + \
@@ -59,8 +68,10 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     print info
     sys.exit()
 
+######################################################################
 # make sure settings is available, also if starting this API stand-alone
 # make settings available, and also the full django settings
+######################################################################
 
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 from django.core.management import setup_environ
@@ -69,7 +80,9 @@ setup_environ(settings)
 del setup_environ
 from django.conf import settings as settings_full
 
+######################################################################
 # set Evennia version in __version__ property
+######################################################################
 
 try:
     f = open(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)) + os.sep + "VERSION", 'r')
@@ -80,29 +93,88 @@ except IOError:
     __version__ = "Evennia (unknown version)"
 del sys, os
 
-#
+######################################################################
-# Start Evennia API (easiest is to import this module interactively to explore it)
+# Start Evennia API (easiest is to import this module interactively to
-#
+#  explore it)
+######################################################################
 
 README = __doc__
 
 # help entries
 from src.help.models import HelpEntry
-db_helpentries = HelpEntry.objects
 
 # players
 from src.players.player import Player
 from src.players.models import PlayerDB, PlayerAttribute, PlayerNick
-db_players = PlayerDB.objects
-#db_playerattrs = PlayerAttribute.objects
-#db_playernicks = PlayerNick.objects
-del PlayerDB, PlayerAttribute, PlayerNick
 
 # commands
 from src.commands.command import Command
 from src.commands.cmdset import CmdSet
 from src.commands import default as default_cmds
 
+# locks
+from src.locks import lockfuncs
+
+# scripts
+from src.scripts.scripts import Script
+
+# comms
+from src.comms.models import Msg, Channel, PlayerChannelConnection, ExternalChannelConnection
+
+# objects
+from src.objects.objects import Object, Character, Room, Exit
+
+# utils
+
+from src.utils.search import *
+from src.utils.create import *
+from src.utils import logger
+from src.utils import utils
+from src.utils import gametime
+from src.utils import ansi
+
+######################################################################
+# API containers
+######################################################################
+
+class DBmanagers(object):
+    """
+    Links to instantiated database managers.
+
+    helpentry - HelpEntry.objects
+    players - PlayerDB.objects
+    scripts - ScriptDB.objects
+    msgs    - Msg.objects
+    channels - Channel.objects
+    connections - PlayerChannelConnection.objects
+    externalconnections - ExternalChannelConnection.objects
+    objects - ObjectDB.objects
+
+    Use by doing "from ev import managers",
+    you can then access the desired manager
+    on the imported managers object.
+    """
+    from src.help.models import HelpEntry
+    from src.players.models import PlayerDB
+    from src.scripts.models import ScriptDB
+    from src.comms.models import Msg, Channel, PlayerChannelConnection, ExternalChannelConnection
+    from src.objects.models import ObjectDB
+    from src.server.models import ServerConfig
+
+    helpentry = HelpEntry.objects
+    players = PlayerDB.objects
+    scripts = ScriptDB.objects
+    msgs = Msg.objects
+    channels = Channel.objects
+    connections = PlayerChannelConnection.objects
+    externalconnections = ExternalChannelConnection.objects
+    objects = ObjectDB.objects
+    serverconfigs = ServerConfig.objects
+    del HelpEntry, PlayerDB, ScriptDB, Msg, Channel, PlayerChannelConnection,
+    del ExternalChannelConnection, ObjectDB, ServerConfig
+managers = DBmanagers()
+del DBmanagers
+
 class SystemCmds(object):
     """
     Creating commands with keys set to these constants will make
@@ -118,6 +190,9 @@ class SystemCmds(object):
                      first command when a player connects to
                      the server.
 
+    To access in code, do 'from ev import syscmdkeys' then
+    access the properties on the imported syscmdkeys object.
+
     """
     from src.commands import cmdhandler
     CMD_NOINPUT = cmdhandler.CMD_NOINPUT
@@ -127,43 +202,4 @@ class SystemCmds(object):
     CMD_LOGINSTART = cmdhandler.CMD_LOGINSTART
     del cmdhandler
 syscmdkeys = SystemCmds()
-
+del SystemCmds
-# locks
-from src.locks import lockfuncs
-
-# scripts
-from src.scripts.scripts import Script
-from src.scripts.models import ScriptDB, ScriptAttribute
-db_scripts = ScriptDB.objects
-#db_scriptattrs = ScriptAttribute.objects
-del ScriptDB, ScriptAttribute
-
-# comms
-from src.comms.models import Msg, Channel, PlayerChannelConnection, ExternalChannelConnection
-db_msgs = Msg.objects
-db_channels = Channel.objects
-db_connections = PlayerChannelConnection.objects
-db_externalconnections = ExternalChannelConnection.objects
-
-# objects
-from src.objects.objects import Object, Character, Room, Exit
-from src.objects.models import ObjAttribute, Alias, ObjectNick, ObjectDB
-db_objects = ObjectDB.objects
-#db_aliases = Alias.objects
-#db_objnicks = ObjectNick.objects
-#db_objattrs = ObjAttribute.objects
-del ObjAttribute, Alias, ObjectNick, ObjectDB
-
-# server
-from src.server.models import ServerConfig
-db_serverconfigs = ServerConfig.objects
-del ServerConfig
-
-# utils
-
-from src.utils.search import *
-from src.utils.create import *
-from src.utils import logger
-from src.utils import utils
-from src.utils import gametime
-from src.utils import ansi