create separate worker app for background tasks

app/app.py

@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ 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__))
@@ -23,8 +22,8 @@ migrate = Migrate()
 migrate.init_app(app, db)
 
 # Schedule creation of events every hour
-with app.app_context():
-    scheduleCreateEvents(app, db, currDay, Period, Event, createEvents)
+#with app.app_context():
+#    scheduleCreateEvents(app, db, currDay, Period, Event, createEvents)
 
 # Authentication stuff
 

app/backgroundTasks.py

@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-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/worker.py

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import os
+from flask import Flask
+from misc import currDay
+from db import db, Period, Event
+from create_events import createEvents
+from apscheduler.schedulers.background import BlockingScheduler
+from apscheduler.triggers.cron import CronTrigger
+
+basedir = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+
+app = Flask(__name__)
+app.config['SECRET_KEY'] = 'HwG55rpe83jcaglifXm8NuF4WEeXyJV4'
+app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'] =\
+           'sqlite:///' + os.path.join(basedir, os.environ['SQLITE_DB'])
+app.config['SQLALCHEMY_TRACK_MODIFICATIONS'] = False
+db.init_app(app)
+
+# declare BlockingScheduler
+sched = BlockingScheduler()
+
+# run createEvents upon app launch
+with app.app_context():
+    createEvents(db, currDay, Period, Event)
+
+def eventsTask():
+    with app.app_context():
+        createEvents(db, currDay, Period, Event)
+sched.add_job(eventsTask, CronTrigger.from_crontab('00 * * * *'))
+print("Background worker started")
+sched.start()
+