text: """
  Utilities for all views
  
  Ben Adida (12-30-2008)
  """
  
  from django.conf import settings
  from django.http import HttpResponse
  from django.shortcuts import render_to_response
  from django.template import loader
  
  import helios_auth
  from helios_auth.security import get_user
  
  ##
  ## BASICS
  ##
  
  SUCCESS = HttpResponse("SUCCESS")
  
  ##
  ## template abstraction
  ##
  
  def prepare_vars(request, values):
    vars_with_user = values.copy()
  
    if request:
      vars_with_user['user'] = get_user(request)
      vars_with_user['csrf_token'] = request.session['csrf_token']
      vars_with_user['SECURE_URL_HOST'] = settings.SECURE_URL_HOST
  
    vars_with_user['STATIC'] = '/static/auth'
    vars_with_user['MEDIA_URL'] = '/static/auth/'
    vars_with_user['TEMPLATE_BASE'] = helios_auth.TEMPLATE_BASE
    vars_with_user['TEMPLATE_BASENONAV'] = helios_auth.TEMPLATE_BASENONAV
  
    vars_with_user['settings'] = settings
  
    return vars_with_user
  
  
  def render_template(request, template_name, values=None):
    vars_with_user = prepare_vars(request, values or {})
  
    return render_to_response('helios_auth/templates/%s.html' % template_name, vars_with_user)
  
  
  def render_template_raw(request, template_name, values=None):
    t = loader.get_template(template_name + '.html')
    values = values or {}
  
    vars_with_user = prepare_vars(request, values)
  
    return t.render(context=vars_with_user, request=request)
  
  
  def render_json(json_txt):
    return HttpResponse(json_txt)
  