try a thing

app.py

@@ -12,11 +12,12 @@ from phase.Student_view import chatbot, lesson, quiz, game, teacherlink
 from phase.Teacher_view import classmanage,studentlist,contentmanage
 from phase.Student_view.games import profitpuzzle
 from utils import db,api
-import os
+import os, requests
 
 from utils.api import BACKEND
 st.sidebar.caption(f"Backend URL: {BACKEND}")
 
+
 DISABLE_DB = os.getenv("DISABLE_DB", "1") == "1"
 
 try:

utils/api.py

@@ -1,21 +1,53 @@
 # utils/api.py
-import os, requests
+import os, json, requests
+from urllib3.util.retry import Retry
+from requests.adapters import HTTPAdapter
 
 # ---- Setup ----
 BACKEND = (os.getenv("BACKEND_URL") or "").strip().rstrip("/")
 if not BACKEND:
+    # Fail fast at import; Streamlit will surface this in the sidebar on first run
     raise RuntimeError("BACKEND_URL is not set in Space secrets.")
 
-TOKEN = (os.getenv("BACKEND_TOKEN") or "").strip()
+# Accept either BACKEND_TOKEN or HF_TOKEN
+TOKEN = (os.getenv("BACKEND_TOKEN") or os.getenv("HF_TOKEN") or "").strip()
+
 DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = int(os.getenv("BACKEND_TIMEOUT", "30"))
 
 _session = requests.Session()
+
+# Light retry for transient network/server blips
+retry = Retry(
+    total=3,
+    connect=3,
+    read=3,
+    backoff_factor=0.5,
+    status_forcelist=(429, 500, 502, 503, 504),
+    allowed_methods=frozenset(["GET", "POST", "PUT", "PATCH", "DELETE"]),
+)
+_session.mount("https://", HTTPAdapter(max_retries=retry))
+_session.mount("http://", HTTPAdapter(max_retries=retry))
+
+# Default headers
+_session.headers.update({
+    "Accept": "application/json, */*;q=0.1",
+    "User-Agent": "FinEdu-Frontend/1.0 (+spaces)",
+})
 if TOKEN:
     _session.headers["Authorization"] = f"Bearer {TOKEN}"
 
+def _json_or_raise(resp: requests.Response):
+    ctype = resp.headers.get("content-type", "")
+    if "application/json" in ctype:
+        return resp.json()
+    # Try to parse anyway; show a helpful error if not JSON
+    try:
+        return resp.json()
+    except Exception:
+        snippet = (resp.text or "")[:300]
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Expected JSON but got {ctype or 'unknown'}:\n{snippet}")
 
 def _req(method: str, path: str, **kw):
-    # make sure path starts with '/'
     if not path.startswith("/"):
         path = "/" + path
     url = f"{BACKEND}{path}"
@@ -29,68 +61,80 @@ def _req(method: str, path: str, **kw):
             body = r.text[:500]
         except Exception:
             pass
-        raise RuntimeError(f"{method} {path} failed [{r.status_code}]: {body}") from e
+        status = getattr(r, "status_code", "?")
+        # Give nicer hints for common auth misconfigs
+        if status in (401, 403):
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"{method} {path} failed [{status}] – auth rejected. "
+                f"Check BACKEND_TOKEN/HF_TOKEN permissions and that the backend Space is private/readable."
+            ) from e
+        raise RuntimeError(f"{method} {path} failed [{status}]: {body}") from e
     except requests.RequestException as e:
         raise RuntimeError(f"{method} {path} failed: {e.__class__.__name__}: {e}") from e
     return r
 
-
 # ---- Health ----
 def health():
-    return _req("GET", "/health").json()
-
+    # Prefer /health but allow root fallback if you change the backend later
+    try:
+        return _json_or_raise(_req("GET", "/health"))
+    except Exception:
+        # best-effort fallback
+        try:
+            _req("GET", "/")
+            return {"ok": True}
+        except Exception:
+            return {"ok": False}
 
 # ---- Legacy agent endpoints (keep) ----
 def start_agent(student_id: int, lesson_id: int, level_slug: str):
-    return _req("POST", "/agent/start",
-                json={"student_id": student_id, "lesson_id": lesson_id, "level_slug": level_slug}).json()
+    return _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/agent/start",
+                               json={"student_id": student_id, "lesson_id": lesson_id, "level_slug": level_slug}))
 
 def get_quiz(student_id: int, lesson_id: int, level_slug: str):
-    return _req("POST", "/agent/quiz",
-                json={"student_id": student_id, "lesson_id": lesson_id, "level_slug": level_slug}).json()["items"]
+    d = _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/agent/quiz",
+                            json={"student_id": student_id, "lesson_id": lesson_id, "level_slug": level_slug}))
+    return d["items"]
 
 def grade_quiz(student_id: int, lesson_id: int, level_slug: str,
                answers: list[str], assignment_id: int | None = None):
-    d = _req("POST", "/agent/grade",
-             json={"student_id": student_id, "lesson_id": lesson_id, "level_slug": level_slug,
-                   "answers": answers, "assignment_id": assignment_id}).json()
+    d = _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/agent/grade",
+                            json={"student_id": student_id, "lesson_id": lesson_id, "level_slug": level_slug,
+                                  "answers": answers, "assignment_id": assignment_id}))
     return d["score"], d["total"]
 
 def next_step(student_id: int, lesson_id: int, level_slug: str,
               answers: list[str], assignment_id: int | None = None):
-    return _req("POST", "/agent/coach_or_celebrate",
-                json={"student_id": student_id, "lesson_id": lesson_id, "level_slug": level_slug,
-                      "answers": answers, "assignment_id": assignment_id}).json()
-
+    return _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/agent/coach_or_celebrate",
+                               json={"student_id": student_id, "lesson_id": lesson_id, "level_slug": level_slug,
+                                     "answers": answers, "assignment_id": assignment_id}))
 
 # ---- Auth ----
 def login(email: str, password: str):
-    return _req("POST", "/auth/login", json={"email": email, "password": password}).json()
+    return _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/auth/login", json={"email": email, "password": password}))
 
 def signup_student(name: str, email: str, password: str, level_label: str, country_label: str):
-    return _req("POST", "/auth/signup/student",
-                json={"name": name, "email": email, "password": password,
-                      "level_label": level_label, "country_label": country_label}).json()
+    return _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/auth/signup/student",
+                               json={"name": name, "email": email, "password": password,
+                                     "level_label": level_label, "country_label": country_label}))
 
 def signup_teacher(title: str, name: str, email: str, password: str):
-    return _req("POST", "/auth/signup/teacher",
-                json={"title": title, "name": name, "email": email, "password": password}).json()
-
+    return _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/auth/signup/teacher",
+                               json={"title": title, "name": name, "email": email, "password": password}))
 
 # ---- New LangGraph-backed endpoints ----
 def fetch_lesson_content(lesson: str, module: str, topic: str):
-    payload = {"lesson": lesson, "module": module, "topic": topic}
-    r = _req("POST", "/lesson", json=payload).json()
+    r = _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/lesson",
+                            json={"lesson": lesson, "module": module, "topic": topic}))
     return r["lesson_content"]
 
 def submit_lesson_quiz(lesson: str, module: str, topic: str, responses: dict):
-    payload = {"lesson": lesson, "module": module, "topic": topic, "responses": responses}
-    return _req("POST", "/lesson-quiz", json=payload).json()
+    return _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/lesson-quiz",
+                               json={"lesson": lesson, "module": module, "topic": topic, "responses": responses}))
 
 def submit_practice_quiz(lesson: str, responses: dict):
-    payload = {"lesson": lesson, "responses": responses}
-    return _req("POST", "/practice-quiz", json=payload).json()
+    return _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/practice-quiz",
+                               json={"lesson": lesson, "responses": responses}))
 
 def send_to_chatbot(messages: list[dict]):
-    payload = {"messages": messages}
-    return _req("POST", "/chatbot", json=payload).json()
+    return _json_or_raise(_req("POST", "/chatbot", json={"messages": messages}))