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= How sessions work in MoinMoin =

Sessions in MoinMoin are implemented using the authentication framework, see HelpOnAuthentication for more details. By default, the function `MoinMoin.auth.moin_session` is contained in the `config.auth` list and is responsible for managing sessions. You can use it together with any other authentication method if you need sessions. 

As a programmer, in order to use session variables, you can use `request.session` like a dict, values stored there are automatically saved and restored if a session is available.

Code using the session framework currently includes:
 * the superuser "change user" functionality, see HelpOnSuperUser
 * the visited pages trail

== Anonymous sessions ==

Anonymous sessions are supported by including the `MoinMoin.auth.moin_anon_session` function into `config.auth` and setting `config.anonymous_cookie_lifetime`. Cookies for anonymous sessions expire after `config.anonymous_cookie_lifetime` hours (can be fractional), however, the expiry is not verified. Saved state is removed earliest an hour after the session cookie has expired.

== Replacing moin_session ==
It is possible to replace `moin_session` in the `auth` configuration list. The new session handler should assign `request.session` based on a cookie or other information. The `request.session` object must be a dict-like object and it should implement session data expiry, cf. `MoinMoin.auth.SessionData`.

== Session example code ==

Here's an example macro using the session code:
{{{
#!python
# -*- coding: iso-8859-1 -*-

"""
    Tests session state.
"""

Dependencies = ['time']

def execute(macro, args):
    if 'test' in macro.request.session:
        return macro.formatter.text(macro.request.session['test'])
    import random
    value = random.randint(1, 100000)
    macro.request.session['test'] = value
    return macro.formatter.text("set to value %d" % value)
}}}