Password Reset

Goal

This snapshot advances Rivermouth Dispatch by teaching you to issue expiring one-use password reset tokens.

Every numbered folder is a complete app. Run this stage independently, then compare it with the previous folder.

Prerequisites

Use Python 3.11+, a terminal, and Docker for Postgres stages. You should recognize functions, modules, and HTTP verbs.

Port 8001 must be free. Copy .env.example before starting database stages.

• Python 3 and pip/venv
• A code editor and terminal
• Docker from part 4 onward

Concepts

Store a random token and expiry on the user. Locally print the link to the console instead of requiring SMTP.

Keep request handling thin: routes accept input, services/models enforce rules, and Jinja templates escape output by default.

Walkthrough

Create a forgot-password form, save a token, and complete the reset only when the token is valid and unexpired.

Read the example, then open the matching snapshot. The repository includes the surrounding setup and error handling.

user.reset_token = secrets.token_urlsafe(24)
user.reset_expires = datetime.now(timezone.utc) + timedelta(hours=1)

Run and verify

Enter 11-Password-Reset, create a virtualenv, install requirements, copy .env.example when present, and start Uvicorn on port 8001.

Open http://127.0.0.1:8001. Watch the terminal for validation and database errors.

docker compose up -d
git clone https://github.com/michaeldunga1/fcc-fastapi-blog.git
cd fcc-fastapi-blog/11-Password-Reset
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
cp .env.example .env
uvicorn main:app --reload --port 8001

Troubleshooting

Always show a generic success message so attackers cannot probe which emails exist.

Import errors usually mean the virtualenv is inactive or you installed packages in another snapshot. For Postgres failures, confirm Docker and the rivermouth_NN database name.

• Read the first error first
• Restart after environment changes
• Never commit .env or .venv

Try this

Request a reset for Ada and complete it from the console link.

Test a happy path and one invalid or unauthorized request.

• Make one small change
• Test it in the browser
• Compare with the next snapshot only after it works