add scheduler to generate events, remove hacky workaround

app/app.py

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from flask_login import (LoginManager, login_user, login_required, logout_user,
 from misc import datetime, date, time, currDay, ZoneInfo, currVersion, currCommit
 from db import (db, Period, Task, Event, User)
 from forms import (TaskForm, EventForm, PeriodForm, SignupForm, LoginForm, SettingsForm)
+from backgroundTasks import scheduleCreateEvents
 from create_events import createEvents
 
 basedir = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
@@ -21,6 +22,10 @@ db.init_app(app)
 migrate = Migrate()
 migrate.init_app(app, db)
 
+# Schedule creation of events every hour
+with app.app_context():
+    scheduleCreateEvents(app, db, currDay, Period, Event, createEvents)
+
 # Authentication stuff
 
 login_manager = LoginManager()
@@ -47,7 +52,6 @@ def injectVerCommit():
 # Index route
 @app.route('/')
 def index():
-    createEvents(db, currDay, Period, Event)
     return redirect('/events')
 
 # Authentication routes
@@ -120,7 +124,6 @@ def newPeriod():
         )
         db.session.add(period)
         db.session.commit()
-        createEvents(db, currDay, Period, Event)
         return redirect(f'/period/edit/{period.period}')
     return render_template('newPeriod.html', form=form)
 
@@ -152,7 +155,6 @@ def delete_period(periodNum):
 def events():
     events = Event.query.all()
     periods = Period.query.all()
-    createEvents(db, currDay, Period, Event)
 
     return render_template('events.html', events=events, periods=periods, datetime=datetime, date=date, ZoneInfo=ZoneInfo)
 

app/backgroundTasks.py

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+from apscheduler.schedulers.background import BackgroundScheduler
+from apscheduler.triggers.cron import CronTrigger
+
+def scheduleCreateEvents(app, db, currDay, Period, Event, createEvents):
+    # create events upon application launch
+    createEvents(db, currDay, Period, Event)
+
+    # schedule createEvents task every hour
+    sched = BackgroundScheduler()
+    def eventsTask():
+        with app.app_context():
+            createEvents(db, currDay, Period, Event)
+    sched.add_job(eventsTask, CronTrigger.from_crontab('00 * * * *'))
+    sched.start()

app/create_events.py

@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ def createEvents(db, currDay, Period, Event):
             )
             db.session.add(event)
             db.session.commit()
+
+    print("createEvents script ran successfully")

app/requirements.txt

@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ Flask-User==1.0.2.2
 # WTForms Extensions
 WTForms-SQLAlchemy==0.3.0
 
+# APScheduler automated scheduler
+APScheduler==3.9.1.post1
+
 # Python Time packages
 pytz==2022.6