What is the proper way to logout the user via class-based view using Django Token Authentication?

Using Django
#1

HI,

I have my login view working perfectly, and I think the logout view should work properly as well, but everytime I click on the button to logout user, it gives error AonymousUser object has not attribute 'auth_token'.

My views.py is below:

class LoginAPIHTML(APIView):
    renderer_classes = [TemplateHTMLRenderer]
    template_name = 'accounts/login.html'

    def get(self, request):        
        serializer = LoginSerializer()
        return Response({'serializer': serializer})

    def post(self, request):
        serializer = LoginSerializer(data=request.data)
        if not serializer.is_valid():
            return Response({'serializer': serializer})
        
        user = authenticate(request, username=request.data['email'], password=request.data['password'])
        
        if user:
            login(request, user)
            return redirect('user')

        else:
            return redirect('login')

class LogoutAPIHTML(APIView):
    def get(self, request):
        request.user.auth_token.delete()
        logout(request)
        return redirect('login')

and the template from where I click the logout button is below:

<body>
        <h1>Use Details</h1>

        {% if request.user.is_authenticated %}
        <a href="{% url 'logout' %}">
            <input type="button" value="Logout"/>
        </a>
        {% else %}
        <h2>{{ message }}</h2>
        {% endif %}
    </body>
#2

@KenWhitesell please guide me here as well, I don’t understand why it is not recognizing the user as I am accessing it from request instance.

#3

What is the specific line that is throwing the error as indicated by the error message you are receiving?

#4

@KenWhitesell the error is below:

AttributeError at /logout
'AnonymousUser' object has no attribute 'auth_token

and more details of error are below:

Traceback Switch to copy-and-paste view
C:\Users\Khubaib Khawar\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\django\core\handlers\exception.py, line 55, in inner
                response = get_response(request) …
Local vars
C:\Users\Khubaib Khawar\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\django\core\handlers\base.py, line 197, in _get_response
                response = wrapped_callback(request, *callback_args, **callback_kwargs) …
Local vars
C:\Users\Khubaib Khawar\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\django\views\decorators\csrf.py, line 54, in wrapped_view
        return view_func(*args, **kwargs) …
Local vars
C:\Users\Khubaib Khawar\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\django\views\generic\base.py, line 84, in view
            return self.dispatch(request, *args, **kwargs) …
Local vars
C:\Users\Khubaib Khawar\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\rest_framework\views.py, line 509, in dispatch
            response = self.handle_exception(exc) …
Local vars
C:\Users\Khubaib Khawar\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\rest_framework\views.py, line 469, in handle_exception
            self.raise_uncaught_exception(exc) …
Local vars
C:\Users\Khubaib Khawar\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\rest_framework\views.py, line 480, in raise_uncaught_exception
        raise exc …
Local vars
C:\Users\Khubaib Khawar\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\rest_framework\views.py, line 506, in dispatch
            response = handler(request, *args, **kwargs) …
Local vars
C:\Users\Khubaib Khawar\Downloads\Meistery\Round2\backend_dev_trial_ass_r2\accounts\views.py, line 219, in get
        request.user.auth_token.delete() …
Local vars

Basically, there are multiple lines that are throwing exception, but the last of these lines is request.user.auth_token.delete().

#5

I think it should work. I don’t see anything wrong in it. Don’t know why it is behaving like this.

#6

I don’t know. I thought I had an idea where the problem may have been, but the full error message wasn’t what I guessed it might be. I suggest you check on one of the official DRF support channels.

#7

It is not related to DRF. I am using the simple Django for logging in and logging out the user.

#8

Your view is a subclass of APIView. If you can demonstrate this problem with a regular Django view, then I might take a closer look. But since it’s using DRF views, I suspect it’s a DRF related issue.

#9

Let me do it in simple Django, then I will get back here with an update. Thanks.

#10

Also keep in mind that token authentication is something generally used with DRF and not generally used with pure Django.

#11

OK @KenWhitesell , then how does the user gets log in and log out in general Django without Token Authentication?

#12

See Using the Django authentication system | Django documentation | Django

#13

Seems that I will have to use general Django’s views, forms, and models to accomplish this.