"""
36. Generating HTML forms from models
Django provides shortcuts for creating Form objects from a model class and a
model instance.
The function django.newforms.form_for_model() takes a model class and returns
a Form that is tied to the model. This Form works just like any other Form,
with one additional method: save(). The save() method creates an instance
of the model and returns that newly created instance. It saves the instance to
the database if save(commit=True), which is default. If you pass
commit=False, then you'll get the object without committing the changes to the
database.
The function django.newforms.form_for_instance() takes a model instance and
returns a Form that is tied to the instance. This form works just like any
other Form, with one additional method: save(). The save()
method updates the model instance. It also takes a commit=True parameter.
The function django.newforms.save_instance() takes a bound form instance and a
model instance and saves the form's clean_data into the instance. It also takes
a commit=True parameter.
"""
from django.db import models
class Category(models.Model):
name = models.CharField(maxlength=20)
url = models.CharField('The URL', maxlength=40)
def __str__(self):
return self.name
class Writer(models.Model):
name = models.CharField(maxlength=50, help_text='Use both first and last names.')
def __str__(self):
return self.name
class Article(models.Model):
headline = models.CharField(maxlength=50)
pub_date = models.DateField()
created = models.DateField(editable=False)
writer = models.ForeignKey(Writer)
article = models.TextField()
categories = models.ManyToManyField(Category, blank=True)
def save(self):
import datetime
if not self.id:
self.created = datetime.date.today()
return super(Article, self).save()
def __str__(self):
return self.headline
class PhoneNumber(models.Model):
phone = models.PhoneNumberField()
description = models.CharField(maxlength=20)
def __str__(self):
return self.phone
__test__ = {'API_TESTS': """
>>> from django.newforms import form_for_model, form_for_instance, save_instance, BaseForm, Form, CharField
>>> import datetime
>>> Category.objects.all()
[]
>>> CategoryForm = form_for_model(Category)
>>> f = CategoryForm()
>>> print f
>>> print f.as_ul()
>>> print f['name']
>>> f = CategoryForm(auto_id=False)
>>> print f.as_ul()
Name:
The URL:
>>> f = CategoryForm({'name': 'Entertainment', 'url': 'entertainment'})
>>> f.is_valid()
True
>>> f.clean_data
{'url': u'entertainment', 'name': u'Entertainment'}
>>> obj = f.save()
>>> obj
>>> Category.objects.all()
[]
>>> f = CategoryForm({'name': "It's a test", 'url': 'test'})
>>> f.is_valid()
True
>>> f.clean_data
{'url': u'test', 'name': u"It's a test"}
>>> obj = f.save()
>>> obj
>>> Category.objects.all()
[, ]
If you call save() with commit=False, then it will return an object that
hasn't yet been saved to the database. In this case, it's up to you to call
save() on the resulting model instance.
>>> f = CategoryForm({'name': 'Third test', 'url': 'third'})
>>> f.is_valid()
True
>>> f.clean_data
{'url': u'third', 'name': u'Third test'}
>>> obj = f.save(commit=False)
>>> obj
>>> Category.objects.all()
[, ]
>>> obj.save()
>>> Category.objects.all()
[, , ]
If you call save() with invalid data, you'll get a ValueError.
>>> f = CategoryForm({'name': '', 'url': 'foo'})
>>> f.errors
{'name': [u'This field is required.']}
>>> f.clean_data
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
AttributeError: 'CategoryForm' object has no attribute 'clean_data'
>>> f.save()
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValueError: The Category could not be created because the data didn't validate.
>>> f = CategoryForm({'name': '', 'url': 'foo'})
>>> f.save()
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValueError: The Category could not be created because the data didn't validate.
Create a couple of Writers.
>>> w = Writer(name='Mike Royko')
>>> w.save()
>>> w = Writer(name='Bob Woodward')
>>> w.save()
ManyToManyFields are represented by a MultipleChoiceField, and ForeignKeys are
represented by a ChoiceField.
>>> ArticleForm = form_for_model(Article)
>>> f = ArticleForm(auto_id=False)
>>> print f
Headline:
Pub date:
Writer:
Article:
Categories:
Hold down "Control", or "Command" on a Mac, to select more than one.
You can pass a custom Form class to form_for_model. Make sure it's a
subclass of BaseForm, not Form.
>>> class CustomForm(BaseForm):
... def say_hello(self):
... print 'hello'
>>> CategoryForm = form_for_model(Category, form=CustomForm)
>>> f = CategoryForm()
>>> f.say_hello()
hello
Use form_for_instance to create a Form from a model instance. The difference
between this Form and one created via form_for_model is that the object's
current values are inserted as 'initial' data in each Field.
>>> w = Writer.objects.get(name='Mike Royko')
>>> RoykoForm = form_for_instance(w)
>>> f = RoykoForm(auto_id=False)
>>> print f
Categories: Hold down "Control", or "Command" on a Mac, to select more than one.
>>> f = TestArticleForm({'headline': u'New headline', 'pub_date': u'1988-01-04', 'writer': u'1', 'article': 'Hello.'})
>>> f.is_valid()
True
>>> new_art = f.save()
>>> new_art.id
1
>>> new_art = Article.objects.get(id=1)
>>> new_art.headline
'New headline'
Add some categories and test the many-to-many form output.
>>> new_art.categories.all()
[]
>>> new_art.categories.add(Category.objects.get(name='Entertainment'))
>>> new_art.categories.all()
[]
>>> TestArticleForm = form_for_instance(new_art)
>>> f = TestArticleForm(auto_id=False)
>>> print f.as_ul()
Headline:
Pub date:
Writer:
Article:
Categories: Hold down "Control", or "Command" on a Mac, to select more than one.
>>> f = TestArticleForm({'headline': u'New headline', 'pub_date': u'1988-01-04',
... 'writer': u'1', 'article': u'Hello.', 'categories': [u'1', u'2']})
>>> new_art = f.save()
>>> new_art.id
1
>>> new_art = Article.objects.get(id=1)
>>> new_art.categories.all()
[, ]
Now, submit form data with no categories. This deletes the existing categories.
>>> f = TestArticleForm({'headline': u'New headline', 'pub_date': u'1988-01-04',
... 'writer': u'1', 'article': u'Hello.'})
>>> new_art = f.save()
>>> new_art.id
1
>>> new_art = Article.objects.get(id=1)
>>> new_art.categories.all()
[]
Create a new article, with categories, via the form.
>>> ArticleForm = form_for_model(Article)
>>> f = ArticleForm({'headline': u'The walrus was Paul', 'pub_date': u'1967-11-01',
... 'writer': u'1', 'article': u'Test.', 'categories': [u'1', u'2']})
>>> new_art = f.save()
>>> new_art.id
2
>>> new_art = Article.objects.get(id=2)
>>> new_art.categories.all()
[, ]
Create a new article, with no categories, via the form.
>>> ArticleForm = form_for_model(Article)
>>> f = ArticleForm({'headline': u'The walrus was Paul', 'pub_date': u'1967-11-01',
... 'writer': u'1', 'article': u'Test.'})
>>> new_art = f.save()
>>> new_art.id
3
>>> new_art = Article.objects.get(id=3)
>>> new_art.categories.all()
[]
Here, we define a custom Form. Because it happens to have the same fields as
the Category model, we can use save_instance() to apply its changes to an
existing Category instance.
>>> class ShortCategory(Form):
... name = CharField(max_length=5)
... url = CharField(max_length=3)
>>> cat = Category.objects.get(name='Third test')
>>> cat
>>> cat.id
3
>>> sc = ShortCategory({'name': 'Third', 'url': '3rd'})
>>> save_instance(sc, cat)
>>> Category.objects.get(id=3)
Here, we demonstrate that choices for a ForeignKey ChoiceField are determined
at runtime, based on the data in the database when the form is displayed, not
the data in the database when the form is instantiated.
>>> ArticleForm = form_for_model(Article)
>>> f = ArticleForm(auto_id=False)
>>> print f.as_ul()
Headline:
Pub date:
Writer:
Article:
Categories: Hold down "Control", or "Command" on a Mac, to select more than one.
Categories: Hold down "Control", or "Command" on a Mac, to select more than one.
# ModelChoiceField ############################################################
>>> from django.newforms import ModelChoiceField, ModelMultipleChoiceField
>>> f = ModelChoiceField(Category.objects.all())
>>> f.clean('')
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'This field is required.']
>>> f.clean(None)
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'This field is required.']
>>> f.clean(0)
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'Select a valid choice. That choice is not one of the available choices.']
>>> f.clean(3)
>>> f.clean(2)
# Add a Category object *after* the ModelChoiceField has already been
# instantiated. This proves clean() checks the database during clean() rather
# than caching it at time of instantiation.
>>> Category.objects.create(name='Fifth', url='5th')
>>> f.clean(5)
# Delete a Category object *after* the ModelChoiceField has already been
# instantiated. This proves clean() checks the database during clean() rather
# than caching it at time of instantiation.
>>> Category.objects.get(url='5th').delete()
>>> f.clean(5)
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'Select a valid choice. That choice is not one of the available choices.']
>>> f = ModelChoiceField(Category.objects.filter(pk=1), required=False)
>>> print f.clean('')
None
>>> f.clean('')
>>> f.clean('1')
>>> f.clean('100')
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'Select a valid choice. That choice is not one of the available choices.']
# ModelMultipleChoiceField ####################################################
>>> f = ModelMultipleChoiceField(Category.objects.all())
>>> f.clean(None)
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'This field is required.']
>>> f.clean([])
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'This field is required.']
>>> f.clean([1])
[]
>>> f.clean([2])
[]
>>> f.clean(['1'])
[]
>>> f.clean(['1', '2'])
[, ]
>>> f.clean([1, '2'])
[, ]
>>> f.clean((1, '2'))
[, ]
>>> f.clean(['100'])
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'Select a valid choice. 100 is not one of the available choices.']
>>> f.clean('hello')
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'Enter a list of values.']
# Add a Category object *after* the ModelChoiceField has already been
# instantiated. This proves clean() checks the database during clean() rather
# than caching it at time of instantiation.
>>> Category.objects.create(id=6, name='Sixth', url='6th')
>>> f.clean([6])
[]
# Delete a Category object *after* the ModelChoiceField has already been
# instantiated. This proves clean() checks the database during clean() rather
# than caching it at time of instantiation.
>>> Category.objects.get(url='6th').delete()
>>> f.clean([6])
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'Select a valid choice. 6 is not one of the available choices.']
>>> f = ModelMultipleChoiceField(Category.objects.all(), required=False)
>>> f.clean([])
[]
>>> f.clean(())
[]
>>> f.clean(['10'])
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'Select a valid choice. 10 is not one of the available choices.']
>>> f.clean(['3', '10'])
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'Select a valid choice. 10 is not one of the available choices.']
>>> f.clean(['1', '10'])
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValidationError: [u'Select a valid choice. 10 is not one of the available choices.']
# PhoneNumberField ############################################################
>>> PhoneNumberForm = form_for_model(PhoneNumber)
>>> f = PhoneNumberForm({'phone': '(312) 555-1212', 'description': 'Assistance'})
>>> f.is_valid()
True
>>> f.clean_data
{'phone': u'312-555-1212', 'description': u'Assistance'}
"""}