model-api.txt

===============
Model reference
===============

Django's models are the bread and butter of the framework.  There's a huge 
array of options available to you when defining your data models; this 
document explains all of them.

Options for models
==================

A list of all possible options for a model object follows.  Although there's a
wide array of possible options, only ``fields`` is required.

``admin``
    A ``meta.Admin`` object; see `Admin options`_.  If this field isn't given,
    the object will not have an admin interface.
    
``db_table``
    The name of the database table to use for the module::
    
        db_table = "pizza_orders"
        
    If not given, this will use ``app_label + '_' + module_name``.
    
``exceptions``
    Names of extra exception subclasses to include in the generated module.
    These exceptions are available from instance methods and from module-level
    methods::
        
        exceptions = ("DisgustingToppingsException", "BurntCrust")
    
``fields``
    A list of field objects; see `Field objects`_.  For example::
    
        fields = (
            meta.CharField('customer_name', 'customer name', maxlength=15),
            meta.BooleanField('use_extra_cheese', 'use extra cheese'),
            meta.IntegerField('customer_type', 'customer type', choices=CUSTOMER_TYPE_CHOICES),
            ...
        )
        
``get_latest_by``
    The name of a date or datetime field; if given, the module will have a
    ``get_latest()`` function which fetches the "latest" object in terms of
    that field::
    
        get_latest_by = "order_date"
    
``module_constants``
    A dict of name/values to use as extra module-level constants::
    
        module_constants = {
            'MEAT_TYPE_PEPPERONI' : 1,
            'MEAT_TYPE_SAUSAGE' : 2,
        }
    
``module_name``
    The name of the module::
    
        module_name = "pizza_orders"
        
    If not given this will use a lowercased version of the class name.
    
``order_with_respect_to``
    Marks this object as "orderable" with respect to the given field.  This is
    almost always used with related objects to allow them to be ordered with
    respect to a parent object.  For example, if a ``PizzaToppping`` relates to
    a ``Pizza`` object, you might use::
    
        order_with_respect_to = 'pizza_id'
    
    to allow the toppings to be ordered with respect to the associated pizza.
    
``ordering``
    The default ordering for tho object::
    
        ordering = (('order_date', 'DESC'),)
        
    This is a tuple of 2-tuples; each 2-tuple is ``(field_name, ordering_type)``
    where ordering_type is either ``"ASC"`` or ``"DESC"``.  You may also use the
    magic ``(None, "RANDOM")`` ordering tuple for random ordering.
    
``permissions``
    Extra permissions to enter into the permissions table when creating this
    object.  A add, delete, and change permission is automatically created for
    each object; this option specifies extra permissions::
    
        permissions = (("may_delivier_pizzas", "Can deliver pizzas"),)
        
    This is a list of 2-tuples of 
    ``(permission_code, human_readable_permission_name)``.
    
``unique_together``
    Sets of field names that, taken together, must be unique::
    
        unique_together = (("driver_id", "restaurant_id"),)
        
    This is a list of lists of fields that must be unique when considered
    together.
    
``verbose_name``
    A human-readable name for the object, singular::
    
        verbose_name = "pizza"
    
    If not given, this will use a munged version of the class name:
    ``CamelCase`` becomes ``camel case``.
    
``verbose_name_plural``
    The plural name for the object::
    
        verbose_name_plural = "stories"
    
    If not given, ``verbose_name + "s"`` will automatically be used.
    
Field objects
=============

The list of fields is the most important part of a data model.  Each item in
the ``fields`` list is an instance of a ``meta.Field`` subclass, and maps to
a database field.

All field objects -- except for ``ForeignKey`` and ``ManyToManyField`` (see
below) -- take two positional arguments and a number of keyword arguments.
The positional arguments are the field name and the human-readable name.  The
field name must be a valid Python identifier, but the human-readable name can
contain spaces, punctuation, etc.

General field options
---------------------

Each type of field takes a different set of options, but there are some
options that are common to all field types.  These options are:

    ======================  ===================================================
    Option                  Description
    ======================  ===================================================
    ``blank``               If ``True``, the field is allowed to be blank.  
                            Note that this is different from ``null`` in that
                            string fields will store the empty string instead of
                            ``NULL`` internally; this means that to create a
                            field that stores nulls you must pass ``blank=True``
                            and ``null=True`` .
    
    ``choices``             A list of 2-tuples to use as choices for this 
                            field.If this is given, instead of the standard
                            field a option menu will be used, limiting choices
                            to the choices given.  A choices list looks like::
                        
                                YEAR_IN_SCHOOL_CHOICES = (
                                    ('FR', 'Freshman'),
                                    ('SO', 'Sophomore'),
                                    ('JR', 'Junior'),
                                    ('SR', 'Senior'),
                                    ('GR', 'Graduate'),
                                )
                            
                            The first element in each tuple is the actual value
                            to be stored; the second element is the human
                            readable name for the option.
                            
    ``core``                For objects that are edited inline to a related
                            object.  If all "core" fields in an inline-edited
                            object are cleared, the object will be considered to
                            be deleted.
                            
                            It is an error to have an inline-editable
                            relation without at least one core field.
    
    ``db_index``            If ``True``, the SQL generator will create a database
                            index on this field.
    
    ``default``             The default value for the field.
    
    ``editable``            ``True`` by default, if set to ``False`` the field
                            will not be editable in the admin.
    
    ``help_text``           Extra "help" text to be displayed with the field.
    
    ``null``                If ``True`` empty values in the field will be 
                            stored as ``NULL`` in the database.  
                            
                            XXX does null imply blank? XXX
        
    ``primary_key``         If ``True`` this field is the primary key for the
                            table.  You only need to use this if you don't want
                            the standard "id" field created and used as the
                            primary key.
                            
                            Implies ``blank=False``, ``null=False``, and
                            ``unique=True``.  Only one primary key is allowed
                            on each object.
    
    ``radio_admin``         If ``choices`` is given, or if the field is a 
                            ManyToOne relation, use a radio button interface
                            for the choices instead of the standard options
                            menu interface.
    
    ``unique``              If ``True`` this field must be unique throughout
                            the table.
    
    ``unique_for_date``     Set this to the name of a ``DateField`` or 
                            ``DateTimeField`` to require that this field
                            be unique for the value of the date field.  That
                            is, if you have a field, ``title`` that has 
                            ``unique_for_date="pub_date"``, then it is an
                            error to have two rows with the same ``title``
                            and the same ``pub_date``.
    
    ``unique_for_month``    Like ``unique_for_date``, but requires the field
                            to be unique with respect to the month.
    
    ``unique_for_year``     Like ``unique_for_date`` and ``unique_for_month``
                            but, well, you get the idea.
    
    ``validator_list``      A list of extra validators to apply to the field.
                            See the `Form fields guide`_ for information about
                            validators.
    ======================  ===================================================

.. _`Form fields guide`: http://www.djangoproject.com/FIXME/

Field Types
-----------
    
``AutoField``
    An ``IntegerField`` that automatically increments.  You usually won't need to
    use this directly; a primary key field will automatically be added to your 
    model if you don't specify otherwise.  That automatically added field is::
    
        meta.AutoField('id', 'ID', primary_key=True)
    
``BooleanField``
    A true/false field.
    
``CharField``
    A text field. These are displayed in the admin as single-line text inputs, so 
    for large amounts of text use a ``TextField``.
    
    ``CharField``s have an extra required argument: ``maxlength``; the maximum 
    length (in characters) of the field.
    
``CommaSeparatedIntegerField``
    A field of integers separated by commas.
    
``DateField``
    A, um, date field.  Has a few extra optional options:
    
        ======================  ===================================================
        Option                  Description
        ======================  ===================================================
        ``auto_now``            Automatically set the field to now every time the
                                object is saved.  Useful for "last-modified"
                                timestamps.
                                
        ``auto_now_add``        Automatically set the field to now when the object
                                is first created.  Useful for creation timestamps.
        ======================  ===================================================
    
``DateTimeField``
    A date and time field.  Takes the same extra options as ``DateField``.
    
    
``EmailField``
    A ``CharField`` that checks that the value is a valid email address.  Because
    validating email addresses can be tricky, this is a pretty loose test.
    
``FileField``
    A file-upload field.  Takes on additional option, ``upload_to`` which is
    a path to upload the file to.  This path may contain `strftime formatting`_
    which will be replaced by the date/time of the file upload (so that uploaded
    files don't fill up the given directory).
    
    .. _`strftime formatting`: http://docs.python.org/lib/module-time.html#l2h-1941
    
``FloatField``
    A floating-point number.  Has two additional required options:
    
        ======================  ===================================================
        Option                  Description
        ======================  ===================================================
        ``max_digits``          The maximum number of digits allowed in the number.
        
        ``decimal_places``      The number of decimal places to store with the
                                number
        ======================  ===================================================
    
    For example, to store numbers up to 999 with a resolution of 2 decimal places,
    you'd use::
    
        meta.FloatField(..., max_digits=5, decimal_places=2)
    
    And to store numbers up to one million with a resolution of 10 decimal places::
    
        meta.FloatField(..., max_digits=19, decimal_places=10)
    
``ForeignKey``
    A many-to-one relationship to the primary key in another object.  So, to give a
    ``Topping`` object a many-to-one relationship to ``Pizza`` (i.e. there are 
    many toppings on a pizza)::
    
        meta.ForeignKey(Pizza)
                
    ``ForeignKey`` fields take a large number of options for defining how the 
    relationship should work:
    
    =======================  ============================================================
    Option                   Description
    =======================  ============================================================
    ``edit_inline``          If ``True``, this related object is edited 
                             "inline" on the related object's page.  This means
                             that the object will not have its own admin 
                             interface.  
                             
    ``edit_inline_type``     This is either ``meta.TABULAR`` or 
                             ``meta.STACKED`` and controls weather the inline
                             editable objects are displayed as a table or as
                             a "stack" of fieldsets.  Defaults to 
                             ``meta.STACKED``.
                             
    ``limit_choices_to``     A dictionary of lookup arguments and values (see
                             the `Database API reference`_) to limit choices
                             of this object to.  Use this along with 
                             ``meta.LazyDate`` to limit choices of objects
                             by date, for example::
                             
                                limit_choices_to = {'pub_date__lte' : meta.LazyDate()}
                                
                             only allows the choice of related objects with a
                             ``pub_date`` before the current date/time to be
                             chosen.
                             
                             Not compatible with ``edit_inline``.
    
    ``max_num_in_admin``     For inline-edited objects, this is the maximum
                             number of related objects to display in the admin.
                             Thus, if a pizza could only have up to 10 
                             toppings, ``max_num_in_admin=10`` would ensure
                             that a user never enters more than 10 toppings.
                             
                             Note that this doesn't ensure more than 10 related
                             toppings ever get created.
    
    ``min_num_in_admin``     The minimum number of related objects displayed in
                             the admin.  Normally, at the creation stage
                             ``num_in_admin`` inline objects are shown, and at
                             the edit stage ``num_extra_on_change`` objects are
                             shown in addition to all pre-existing related
                             objects.  However, no fewer than
                             ``min_num_in_admin`` related objects will ever be
                             displayed.
    
    ``num_extra_on_change``  The number of extra blank related object fields to
                             show at the change stage.
    
    ``num_in_admin``         The default number of inline objects to display
                             on the object page at the add stage.
    
    ``raw_id_admin``         Only display a field for the integer to be entered
                             instead of a drop-down menu.  This is useful when
                             related to an object type that will have too many
                             rows to make a menu practical.
                             
                             Not used with ``edit_inline``.
                             
    ``rel_name``             The name of the relation.  In the above exmaple,
                             this would default to 'pizza' (so that the 
                             ``Toppings`` object would have a ``get_pizza()``
                             function; if you set ``rel_name`` to "pie", then
                             the function would be called ``get_pie()`` and the
                             field name would be ``pie_id``.
    
    ``related_name``         The name to use for the relation from the related
                             object back to this one.  For example, when if
                             ``Topping`` has this field::
                             
                                    meta.ForeignKey(Pizza)
                                    
                             the ``related_name`` will be "topping" (taken from
                             the class name which will in turn give ``Pizza``
                             methods like ``get_topping_list()`` and 
                             ``get_topping_count()``.  
                             
                             If you instead were to use::
                             
                                    meta.ForeignKey(Pizza, related_name="munchie")
                                    
                             then the methods would be called
                             ``get_munchie_list()``, ``get_munchie_count()``,
                             etc.
                             
                             This is only really useful when you have a single
                             object that relates to the same object more than
                             once.  For example, if a ``Story`` object has both
                             ``primary_category`` and ``secondary_category``  
                             fields, to make sure that the category objects
                             have the correct methods, you'd use fields like::
                             
                                    ...
                                    meta.ForeignKey(Category, name="primary_category_id",
                                                    rel_name="primary_category",
                                                    related_name="primary_story"),
                                                    
                                    meta.ForeignKey(Category, name="secondary_category_id",
                                                    rel_name="secondary_category",
                                                    related_name="secondary_story"),
                                    ...
                                
                             which would give the category objects methods 
                             named ``get_primary_story_list()`` and 
                             ``get_secondary_story_list()``.
                             
    ``to_field``             The field on the related object that the relation
                             is to.  This is almost always ``id``, but if the
                             PK on the other object is named something 
                             different, this is how to indicate that.
    =======================  ============================================================

.. _`Database API reference`: http://www.djangoproject.com/documentation/db_api/    
        
``ImageField``
    Like a ``FieldField``, but validates that the uploaded object is a valid 
    image.  Has two extra optional arguments, ``height_field`` and ``width_field``
    which, if set, will be auto-populated with the height and width of the image.
    
``IntegerField``
    An integer, surprisingly.
    
``IPAddressField``
    An IP address, in string format (i.e. "24.124.1.30").
    
``ManyToManyField``
    XXX document once Adrian reworks this XXX
    
``NullBooleanField``
    Like a ``BooleanField``, but allows ``NULL`` as one of the options.  Use this
    instead of a ``BooleanField`` with ``null=True`` .
    
``PhoneNumberField``
    Validates that the value is a valid phone number.
    
``PositiveIntegerField``
    Like an ``IntegerField``, but must be positive.
    
``PositiveSmallIntegerField``
    Like a ``PositiveIntegerField``, but only allows values below 32767.
    
``SlugField``
    A "slug" suitable for parts of a URL; only allows alpha-numeric characters and
    underscores.  
    
    Implies ``maxlength=50`` and ``db_index=True``.
    
    Accepts an extra option, ``prepopulate_from`` which is a list of fields from
    which to auto-populate the slug.
    
``SmallIntegerField``
    Like an ``IntegerField``, but must be between -32768 and 32767.
    
``TextField``
    A large text field (``<textarea>`` in HTML).
    
``TimeField``
    A time.  Accepts the same auto-population options as ``DateField`` and
    ``DateTimeField``.
    
``URLField``
    A field for a URL.  If the ``verify_exists`` option is ``True``, the URL given
    will be checked for existence (i.e. actually loads and doesn't give a 404 
    response).
    
``USStateField``
    A US state.
    
``XMLField``
    A field containing XML.  Takes one required argument, ``schema_path`` which
    is the path to a RelaxNG_ scheme against which to validate the field.
    
    .. _RelaxNG: http://www.relaxng.org/

Admin options
=============

The ``admin`` field in the model tells Django how to construct the admin
interface for the object.  The field is an instance of the ``meta.Admin`` 
object, which has the following options (of which only ``fields`` is required):

``date_hierarchy``    
    To allow filtering of objects in the admin by date, set ``date_hierarchy``
    to the name of the field to filter by::
    
        date_hierarchy = 'order_date'
    
``fields``
    A list of fieldsets to display on the admin page.  Each fieldset is a 2-tuple:
    ``(name, field_options)``.  The ``name`` is a string to name the field set,
    and ``field_options`` is a dictionary of information about the fields to be 
    displayed in that fieldset.  This dictionary has the following keys:
    
        ``fields``
            A tuple of field names to display in this fieldset.  To display
            multiple fields on the same line, wrap those fields in their
            own tuple.
            
            This key is required in the dict.
            
        ``classes``
            Extra CSS classes to apply to the fieldset.  This is a simple
            string; you can apply multiple classes by separating them with
            spaces.
            
            Two useful classes defined by the default stylesheet are ``collapse``
            and ``wide``.  Fieldsets with the ``collapse`` style will be 
            initially collapsed in the admin and replaced with a small "click
            to expand" link.  Fieldsets with the ``wide`` style will be given
            extra horizontal space.
                
    For example (taken from the ``core.flatfiles`` model)::
    
        fields = (
            (None, {
                'fields': ('url', 'title', 'content', 'sites')
            }),
            ('Advanced options', {
                'classes': 'collapse', 
                'fields' : ('enable_comments', 'registration_required', 'template_name')
            }),
        ),
        
    results in an admin that looks like:
    
        .. image:: http://media.djangoproject.com/img/doc/flatfiles_admin.png
            
``js``
    Extra JavaScript files to link into the admin screen.  This can be used to
    tweak a given type of admin page in JS or to provide "quick links" to fill
    in default values for certain fields.
    
``list_display``
    List of fields to display on the list page in the admin.
    
    There are a few special cases that do other things besides displaying the
    contents of the given fields:
    
        * If the field given has a relationship, that relationship is 
          followed and the ``repr()`` of the related object is displayed.
          
        * If the field is a ``BooleanField``, a "on" or "off" icon will
          be displayed instead of ``True`` or ``False``.
          
        * If the field name given does not exist, a function of the model
          will be searched for and called if present.  This function
          should have a ``short_description`` attribute that will be
          used as the header for the field.
          
    See the exmaple below.
    
``list_filter``
    List of fields to filter by.  Each field should either be a ``BooleanField``
    or else a field with a ``ManyToOne`` relation.
    
    An example of how ``list_display`` and ``list_filter`` work (taken from
    the ``auth.user`` model)::
    
        list_display = ('username', 'email', 'first_name', 'last_name', 'is_staff'),
        list_filter = ('is_staff', 'is_superuser'),
        
    results in a admin that looks like:
    
        .. image:: http://media.djangoproject.com/img/doc/users_changelist.png
        
    (This example also has ``search_fields`` defined; see below).
    
``ordering``
    An ordering tuple (see the `Options for models`_, above) that gives a 
    different ordering for the admin change list.  If not given, the 
    model's default ordering will be used.
    
``save_as``
    Enables a "save as" feature on object pages.  Normally, objects have
    three save options: "Save", "Save and continue editing", and "Save
    and add another".   If ``save_as`` is ``True``, "Save and add another"
    will be replaced by a "Save as" button.
    
``save_on_top``
    If this option is ``True``, object pages will have the save buttons
    across the top as well as at the bottom of the page.
    
``search_fields``
    A list of fields to provide a text search for.  These fields should,
    obviously, be some kind of text field.