Creating Docker network with REST API using Python Django

Question

This solution is to create a docker network using Docker supported APIs. For achieving this, I am using Python and Django framework for providing RESTful APIs.

cat network.py
from django.http import JsonResponse
import requests
import json
HEADERS = {"Content-Type" : "application/json", "Accept" : "application/json"}
def network_details():
 response = requests.get("http://127.0.0.1:6000/networks")
 #table = [[Name, Id, Driver, Subnet, Gateway]]
 table = []
 details = {}
 for network in response.json():
 details["Name"] = network["Name"].encode("utf-8")
 details["Id"] = network["Id"].encode("utf-8")[:12]
 details["Driver"] = network["Driver"].encode("utf-8")
 #to check if dict is Null
 if network["IPAM"]["Config"].__len__() == 0:
 details["Subnet"] = "none" 
 details["Gateway"] = "none"
 else:
 ip_config = network["IPAM"]["Config"][0]
 details["Subnet"] = ip_config["Subnet"]
 details["Gateway"] = ip_config["Gateway"]
 table.append(details)
 #intializing to dict to None as scope is outside the for loop as well
 details = {}
 return table 
def network_info(request):
 if request.method == "GET":
 return JsonResponse(network_details(), safe=False)
def create_nw(content):
 response = requests.post("http://127.0.0.1:6000/networks/create", 
 content, headers = HEADERS ) 
 return response.json()
def create_network(request): 
 if request.method == "POST":
 try:
 response = create_nw(request.body)
 #explicitly looking for Warning or message to know the status
 if "Warning" in response:
 return JsonResponse("Success, Network created with ID: {}".
 format(response['Id'].encode('utf-8')[:12]),safe=False)
 elif "message" in response:
 return JsonResponse("Error : {}".
 format(response.values()[0]),safe=False)
 except ValueError:
 return JsonResponse("Error : Improper JSON format provided", safe=False)

URLs information:

cat urls.py
from django.conf.urls import url
from . import views, images, containers, network
urlpatterns = [
 url(r'images', images.images_info),
 url(r'containers', containers.active_containers),
 url(r'network/create', network.create_network), 
 url(r'network', network.network_info), 
 url(r'^$', views.index, name='index'),
 ]

RESTful API to the solution:

curl -X POST <****>/network/create -d @create_network.json --header "Content-Type: application/json" | jq

Can someone suggest if this the right way to build an application using Django framework?

I am not looking for the appropriate/optimized solution for the idea I want to work on. I am looking for your suggestions how can I improve in my coding skills. The reason for selecting Django is to get hands on the framework.

Answer 1

Just for this .. is this all necessary? You could use the flask application , or mapping the each route to a script..

Short answer : No , there are others ways to build what you want that django is not more appropriate.

Long answer

First point

In your methods you are handling the permited methods at hand , the django have the decorators that handle this:

Allowed http methods https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.11/topics/http/decorators/#allowed-http-methods

Some methods would:

@require_http_methods(["GET"])
def list_containers(request):
 pass
@require_http_methods(["GET"]) 
def list_images(request):
 pass
@require_http_methods(["GET","POST"])
def networks(request):
 if request.method == "GET":
 # retrieve networks and return them
 if method.method == "POST":
 # create network

urls.py

url(r'container/s', network.list_containers),
url(r'images/', network.list_images),
url(r'networks/', network.networks)

P.s : The views isn't following your structure , but is easily changed.

Second point

The mainly problem with your code is the routes: network/ and network/create to REST definition , the correct would be the route /networks receive the GET and POST and perform different actions ( retrieve and create respectively )

You could use the Django Rest Framework[1] ( the main framework to build restful application in django )

The DRF handle all these: method , routes , views ( viewsets ).

But if django is the bigger to this , you could use the flask framework and use the your routes and the restful frameworks that solves your problem too.

[1] http://www.django-rest-framework.org/

[2] http://flask.pocoo.org/ ( Framework )

[3] https://flask-restful.readthedocs.io/en/0.3.5/ ( FlaskRestful )