Django: do I need to do HttpResponseRedirect to render a simple string after a POST?

Question

I've got a mobile app that makes POST requests to a Django site.

I want to return a simple string (not a template-based page) after the app makes the POST request, saying 'Success' or 'Failure' (EDIT: plus a bit of extra info) as appropriate.

**EDIT: note that it's not a browser making the request, it's an app (so there's no BACK button involved) and I'd like to do some extra app-side work based on the results of the POST request - basically I want to hand back some information.*

However I know that after a POST request in Django you're supposed to do a HttpResponseRedirect. But, do I really need to redirect to another page and write a new function to handle it, all to output a string?

And if so, how do I pass the success/failure status of the app in the HttpResponseRedirect, since it's only supposed to take one argument?

Thanks!

Answer 1

do I really need to redirect to another page and write a new function to handle it, all to output a string?

Yes.

If they hit "Back" on the browser, you'll wish you had provided a redirect-after-post.

If you don't redirect and they hit "Back" on the browser, they could repost the form again. You probably don't want to deal with that, so it's easier to redirect after post.

how do I pass the success/failure status of the app in the HttpResponseRedirect

See this: http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/request-response/#django.http.HttpResponse.status_code

Edit

If there's no browser, then there's no back button. Since there's no back button, there's no need for a redirect.

"after a POST request in Django you're supposed to do a HttpResponseRedirect"

Doesn't make any sense. You're not "supposed" to do it. Django helps you do it.

You do not redirect after POST as part of web services.

You must redirect after POST to help people use their browser.

Answer 2

As S.Lott says, yes you really do want to redirect.

However I'm not sure what you mean about showing the 'success/failure status of the app" after the redirect. The redirect should only happen if the POST was successful; otherwise, you'd redisplay the form with any validation errors showing.

Answer 3

If this is a user-generated POST (standard web site), then S. Lott's advice is correct.

But if you're POSTing as an API call, then just return the string. On a mobile device, the customer pays for every HTTP request.

Answer 4

Is there javascript? Then maybe you could make an ajax request and simply change the content after the result comes. That should also prevent problems from 'Back' and you don't need to redirect.