fix: observations now persist across page switches

src/home.py

@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ if "MODE_DEV_STATEFUL" not in st.session_state:
 from utils.st_logs import init_logging_session_states
 init_logging_session_states() # logging init should be early 
 
+# set email state var to exist, to permit persistence across page switches 
+if "input_author_email" not in st.session_state:
+    st.session_state.input_author_email = ""
 
 st.write("# Welcome to Cetacean Research Data Infrastructure! 🐬˚˖𓍢ִ໋ 🐋✧˚.⋆")
 

src/input/input_handling.py

@@ -339,8 +339,16 @@ def _setup_oneoff_inputs() -> None:
 
     with container_file_uploader:
         # 1. Input the author email 
-        author_email = st.text_input("Author Email", spoof_metadata.get('author_email', ""),
-                                                key="input_author_email")
+        text0 = st.session_state.get("input_author_email", "None")
+        #print(f"[D] author email: {text0}")
+        author_email = st.text_input("Author Email", 
+                                     value=st.session_state.get("input_author_email", None),
+                                     #spoof_metadata.get('author_email', ""),
+                                                #key="input_author_email")
+        )
+        # store the email in session state
+        st.session_state["input_author_email"] = author_email
+        
         if author_email and not is_valid_email(author_email):   
             st.error("Please enter a valid email address.")