Lifecycle Events System

Over the past week i have been focused on the user experience.

Specifically i implemented a lifecycle approach where various events trigger specific actions that are under our control. Actions are things like “Log The Event” or “Sent Email Template”

HerpesHearts includes a comprehensive lifecycle events system that automatically tracks user milestones, sends notifications, and maintains an audit log of important events.

Overview

The lifecycle events system provides:

• Automatic UserAction logging for all lifecycle events

• Configurable email notifications to users and/or staff

• Extensible event handlers for custom business logic

• Template-based email rendering with consistent branding

Available Lifecycle Events

Configuration

Lifecycle events are configured in src/profiles/lifecycle_events.py via the DEFAULT_LIFECYCLE_ACTIONS dictionary. You can override this in settings.py:

# In settings.py
LIFECYCLE_ACTIONS = {
    'first_login': [
        {
            'type': 'email_notification',
            'enabled': True,
            'notification_target': 'staff',  # 'staff', 'user', or 'both'
            'staff_email': 'support@herpeshearts.com',
            'subject': '[HerpesHearts] New User: {display_name}',
            'template_name': 'emails/lifecycle_notification.html',  # Optional
        }
    ],
    # ... more events
}

Notification Targets

Each event can notify:

• staff - Sends to configured staff email (default: support@herpeshearts.com)

• user - Sends to the user's email address

• both - Sends to both staff and user

Template Variables

All email templates receive these standard variables:

• display_name - User's profile display name

• email - User's email address

• user_id - User's database ID

• timestamp - Event timestamp (formatted)

• event_name - Name of the lifecycle event

• SITE_NAME - Site name from settings

• SITE_PURPOSE - Site purpose from settings

Event-specific variables (e.g., role_name, badge_name, badge_description) are passed based on the event context.