Tokens¶

The core.tokens module provides utilities for generating secure, URL-safe tokens.

These tokens are primarily used for:

external sharing
temporary access links
public-facing identifiers

Purpose¶

The token layer exists to:

generate secure random tokens
ensure tokens are safe for use in URLs
avoid predictable or guessable identifiers
centralize token generation logic

Entry Point¶

Main function:

generate_share_token(length: int = 32)

Behavior¶

Token Generation¶

The function uses Python’s secrets module:

cryptographically secure
suitable for authentication-related use cases

The generated token is:

random
URL-safe
hard to guess

Length Parameter¶

The length parameter controls the size of the token.

Default:

32

This produces a sufficiently strong token for most use cases.

Example Flow¶

flowchart TD
    A[Call generate_share_token] --> B[Generate secure random bytes]
    B --> C[Encode as URL-safe string]
    C --> D[Return token]

Output Characteristics¶

Generated tokens are: - URL-safe (no unsafe characters) - base64-like encoded - non-sequential - non-predictable

Example (illustrative):

Xf93kLmQp9vA2sDf8JkPq1zWcT7YbH4m

Usage¶

Typical use cases include: - shareable links - temporary access URLs - invitation tokens - public resource identifiers

Responsibilities¶

Token Module¶

generate secure tokens
ensure URL safety
provide simple API

Feature Apps¶

decide when tokens are needed
store tokens if required
define expiration or usage rules

What Tokens Do NOT Do¶

The token module does not: - store tokens - validate tokens - manage expiration - enforce permissions - associate tokens with models

These responsibilities belong to higher-level services.

Security Considerations¶

The use of secrets.token_urlsafe ensures: - strong randomness - resistance to brute-force attacks - suitability for security-sensitive use cases

However, security depends on: - token length - proper storage - correct validation logic in feature apps

Best Practices¶

use default or longer token lengths for sensitive operations
never rely on short tokens for secure access
treat tokens as secrets
store tokens securely if persisted
expire tokens when appropriate

Future Extensions¶

Possible enhancements: - token expiration helpers - token hashing before storage - scoped tokens (e.g. per-resource) - one-time-use tokens - signed tokens (e.g. JWT-like patterns)

Summary¶

The core.tokens module provides a simple, secure way to generate URL-safe tokens.

It ensures that: - tokens are cryptographically strong - tokens are safe for use in URLs - token generation is consistent across the system