--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/taskapp/events/user.py	Thu Feb 04 22:12:48 2010 +0530
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+from pytask.taskapp.models import Profile, Task, Comment, Credit
+
+""" 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' 
+    """
+
+    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,**properties):
+    """ create user using createUser method and set the is_superuser flag """
+    
+    su_user = createUser(username,email,password,**properties)
+    su_user.is_staff = True
+    su_user.is_superuser = True
+    su_user.save()