--- a/profile/utils.py	Fri Jan 07 12:53:57 2011 +0530
+++ b/profile/utils.py	Fri Jan 07 12:58:39 2011 +0530
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+
+def get_notification(nid, user):
+    """ if notification exists, and belongs to the current user, return it.
+    else return None.
+    """
+
+    user_notifications = user.notification_sent_to.filter(is_deleted=False).order_by('sent_date')
+    current_notifications = user_notifications.filter(uniq_key=nid)
+    if user_notifications:
+        current_notification = current_notifications[0]
+
+        try:
+            newer_notification = current_notification.get_next_by_sent_date(sent_to=user, is_deleted=False)
+            newest_notification = user_notifications.reverse()[0]
+            if newest_notification == newer_notification:
+                newest_notification = None
+        except Notification.DoesNotExist:
+            newest_notification, newer_notification = None, None
+
+        try:
+            older_notification = current_notification.get_previous_by_sent_date(sent_to=user, is_deleted=False)
+            oldest_notification = user_notifications[0]
+            if oldest_notification == older_notification:
+                oldest_notification = None
+        except:
+            oldest_notification, older_notification = None, None
+
+        return newest_notification, newer_notification, current_notification, older_notification, oldest_notification
+
+    else:
+        return None, None, None, None, None