Flask add custom background task
Question:
I am trying to create a flask application that has a background task that runs every 10 mins.
I found this module: https://medium.com/greedygame-engineering/an-elegant-way-to-run-periodic-tasks-in-python-61b7c477b679
So I added it to my project:
poetry add timeloop
I have created the hierachy using Flasky code examples(I don’t have the book): https://github.com/miguelgrinberg/flasky
# app/__init__.py
from flask import Flask
from timeloop import Timeloop
from app.utils.json_utils import JSON_Custom
from flask_bootstrap import Bootstrap
from config import config
bootstrap = Bootstrap() : Bootstrap
def create_app(config_name): -> Flask
app = Flask(__name__) : Flask
app.config.from_object(config[config_name])
app.json_encoder = JSON_Custom
config[config_name].init_app(app)
bootstrap.init_app(app)
tl = Timeloop() : Timeloop
tl.start()
with app.app_context():
app.config['TIME_LOOP'] = tl : Timeloop
from .utils import utils as utils_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(utils_blueprint)
from .api import api as api_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(api_blueprint, url_prefix='/api/v1')
from .passwd import passwd as passwd_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(passwd_blueprint)
return app
As you can see I am trying to add the timeloop class instance to the context so I could reference it later on.
Now In my other file
#app/utils/connection_utils.py
@current_app.config['TIME_LOOP'].job(interval=timedelta(minutes=10))
def synchronize_applications():
try:
#code
except:
#code
finally:
current_app.config['TIME_LOOP'].stop()
Now the problem is that I have tried it many ways and each time I get a different error. With this setup I get
raise RuntimeError(unbound_message) from None
RuntimeError: Working outside of application context.
This typically means that you attempted to use functionality that needed
the current application. To solve this, set up an application context
with app.app_context(). See the documentation for more information.
EDIT:
I also tried the following method.
#app/models.py
from timeloop import Timeloop
tl = Timeloop()
#app/__init__.py
def create_app(config_name):
...
from app.models import tl
tl.start()
...
#app/utils/connection_utils.py
from app.models import tl
@tl.job(interval=timedelta(minutes=10))
def synchronize_application():
with current_app.app_context():
...
Now the flask APP starts, but it crashes when it encounters the TL.
[2022-10-26 12:54:11,626] [timeloop] [INFO] Starting Timeloop..
[2022-10-26 12:54:11,626] [timeloop] [INFO] Registered job <function synchronize_applications at 0x7fa1640984c0>
[2022-10-26 12:54:11,626] [timeloop] [INFO] Timeloop now started. Jobs will run based on the interval set
* Serving Flask app 'main.py'
* Debug mode: off
WARNING: This is a development server. Do not use it in a production deployment. Use a production WSGI server instead.
* Running on http://127.0.0.1:5000
Press CTRL+C to quit
Exception in thread Thread-1:
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
raise RuntimeError(unbound_message) from None
RuntimeError: Working outside of application context.
This typically means that you attempted to use functionality that needed
the current application. To solve this, set up an application context
with app.app_context(). See the documentation for more information.
I think it is because it runs in a separate thread?
Answers:
In the end the solution was something like this:
I created a background tasks class that accepts the current app and the timeloop object who stores jobs.
https://github.com/Ruggiero-Santo/timeloop
from app.models import timeloop
bootstrap = Bootstrap() : Bootstrap
def create_app(config_name): -> Flask
app = Flask(__name__) : Flask
# Import config
app.config.from_object(config[config_name])
app.json_encoder = JSON_Custom
config[config_name].init_app(app)
# Add bootstrap
bootstrap.init_app(app)
# Pass the App and the timeloop object created to the backgroud tasks.
background_tasks = BackgroundTasks(app, timeloop) : BackgroundTasks
# Start the background tasks.
background_tasks.start()
from .utils import utils as utils_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(utils_blueprint)
from .api import api as api_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(api_blueprint, url_prefix='/api/v1')
from .passwd import passwd as passwd_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(passwd_blueprint)
return app
class BackgroundTasks(threading.Thread):
"""Class that runs background tasks for a flask application.
Args:
threading.Thread: Creates a new thread.
"""
def __init__(self, app: Flask, timeloop: Timeloop): -> None
"""Create a background tasks object that runs periodical tasks in the background of an flask application.
Args:
app: Flask application object.
timeloop: Timeloop object.
"""
super(BackgroundTasks, self).__init__()
self.app = app : Flask
self.timeloop = timeloop : Timeloop
self.timeloop.add_job(self.synchronize_applications, interval=timedelta(minutes=10), exception=False)
def run(self): -> None
# Use the current application context and start the timeloop service.
with self.app.app_context():
self.timeloop.start()
def synchronize_applicatons(self): -> None
#do stuff
So in the end I didn’t use the decorator, but I learned a lot about it and found this awesome module:
I am trying to create a flask application that has a background task that runs every 10 mins.
I found this module: https://medium.com/greedygame-engineering/an-elegant-way-to-run-periodic-tasks-in-python-61b7c477b679
So I added it to my project:
poetry add timeloop
I have created the hierachy using Flasky code examples(I don’t have the book): https://github.com/miguelgrinberg/flasky
# app/__init__.py
from flask import Flask
from timeloop import Timeloop
from app.utils.json_utils import JSON_Custom
from flask_bootstrap import Bootstrap
from config import config
bootstrap = Bootstrap() : Bootstrap
def create_app(config_name): -> Flask
app = Flask(__name__) : Flask
app.config.from_object(config[config_name])
app.json_encoder = JSON_Custom
config[config_name].init_app(app)
bootstrap.init_app(app)
tl = Timeloop() : Timeloop
tl.start()
with app.app_context():
app.config['TIME_LOOP'] = tl : Timeloop
from .utils import utils as utils_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(utils_blueprint)
from .api import api as api_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(api_blueprint, url_prefix='/api/v1')
from .passwd import passwd as passwd_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(passwd_blueprint)
return app
As you can see I am trying to add the timeloop class instance to the context so I could reference it later on.
Now In my other file
#app/utils/connection_utils.py
@current_app.config['TIME_LOOP'].job(interval=timedelta(minutes=10))
def synchronize_applications():
try:
#code
except:
#code
finally:
current_app.config['TIME_LOOP'].stop()
Now the problem is that I have tried it many ways and each time I get a different error. With this setup I get
raise RuntimeError(unbound_message) from None
RuntimeError: Working outside of application context.
This typically means that you attempted to use functionality that needed
the current application. To solve this, set up an application context
with app.app_context(). See the documentation for more information.
EDIT:
I also tried the following method.
#app/models.py
from timeloop import Timeloop
tl = Timeloop()
#app/__init__.py
def create_app(config_name):
...
from app.models import tl
tl.start()
...
#app/utils/connection_utils.py
from app.models import tl
@tl.job(interval=timedelta(minutes=10))
def synchronize_application():
with current_app.app_context():
...
Now the flask APP starts, but it crashes when it encounters the TL.
[2022-10-26 12:54:11,626] [timeloop] [INFO] Starting Timeloop..
[2022-10-26 12:54:11,626] [timeloop] [INFO] Registered job <function synchronize_applications at 0x7fa1640984c0>
[2022-10-26 12:54:11,626] [timeloop] [INFO] Timeloop now started. Jobs will run based on the interval set
* Serving Flask app 'main.py'
* Debug mode: off
WARNING: This is a development server. Do not use it in a production deployment. Use a production WSGI server instead.
* Running on http://127.0.0.1:5000
Press CTRL+C to quit
Exception in thread Thread-1:
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
raise RuntimeError(unbound_message) from None
RuntimeError: Working outside of application context.
This typically means that you attempted to use functionality that needed
the current application. To solve this, set up an application context
with app.app_context(). See the documentation for more information.
I think it is because it runs in a separate thread?
In the end the solution was something like this:
I created a background tasks class that accepts the current app and the timeloop object who stores jobs.
https://github.com/Ruggiero-Santo/timeloop
from app.models import timeloop
bootstrap = Bootstrap() : Bootstrap
def create_app(config_name): -> Flask
app = Flask(__name__) : Flask
# Import config
app.config.from_object(config[config_name])
app.json_encoder = JSON_Custom
config[config_name].init_app(app)
# Add bootstrap
bootstrap.init_app(app)
# Pass the App and the timeloop object created to the backgroud tasks.
background_tasks = BackgroundTasks(app, timeloop) : BackgroundTasks
# Start the background tasks.
background_tasks.start()
from .utils import utils as utils_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(utils_blueprint)
from .api import api as api_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(api_blueprint, url_prefix='/api/v1')
from .passwd import passwd as passwd_blueprint
app.register_blueprint(passwd_blueprint)
return app
class BackgroundTasks(threading.Thread):
"""Class that runs background tasks for a flask application.
Args:
threading.Thread: Creates a new thread.
"""
def __init__(self, app: Flask, timeloop: Timeloop): -> None
"""Create a background tasks object that runs periodical tasks in the background of an flask application.
Args:
app: Flask application object.
timeloop: Timeloop object.
"""
super(BackgroundTasks, self).__init__()
self.app = app : Flask
self.timeloop = timeloop : Timeloop
self.timeloop.add_job(self.synchronize_applications, interval=timedelta(minutes=10), exception=False)
def run(self): -> None
# Use the current application context and start the timeloop service.
with self.app.app_context():
self.timeloop.start()
def synchronize_applicatons(self): -> None
#do stuff
So in the end I didn’t use the decorator, but I learned a lot about it and found this awesome module: