--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/pytask/taskapp/events/user.py	Thu Jan 06 19:07:04 2011 +0530
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+from pytask.taskapp.models import Profile, Task, Comment
+
+""" A collection of helper methods. note that there is no validation done here.
+we take care of validation and others checks in methods that invoke these methods.
+"""
+
+def updateProfile(user_profile, properties):
+    """ updates the given properties in the profile for a user. 
+    args:
+        user_profile : a profile object
+        properties : a dictionary with attributes to set as keys and corresponding values
+    """
+    
+    for attr,value in properties.items():
+        user_profile.__setattr__(attr,value)
+    user_profile.save()
+
+def createUser(username,email,password,dob,gender):
+    """ create a user and create a profile and update its properties 
+    args:
+        username : a username that does not exist
+        email : a valid email
+        password : a password
+        dob : a date object
+        gender : u'M'/u'F' 
+    """
+
+    try:
+        user = User.objects.get(username=username)
+        return user
+    except:        
+        user = User(username=username, email=email)
+        user.set_password(password)
+        user.save()
+        properties = {'dob':dob, 'gender':gender}
+        user_profile = Profile(user=user)
+        updateProfile(user_profile, properties)
+        return user
+    
+def createSuUser(username,email,password,dob,gender):
+    """ create user using createUser method and set the is_superuser flag """
+    
+    su_user = createUser(username,email,password,dob,gender)
+    su_user.is_staff = True
+    su_user.is_superuser = True
+    su_user.save()
+    return su_user
+
+def changeRole(role, user):
+    """ change the status of user to role.
+    """
+
+    user_profile = user.get_profile()
+    user_profile.rights = role
+    user_profile.save()