django-submodel

A Django field which: works like a model instance, stores sub-model fields in single DB column, and supports smooth editing in Django admin.

django-submodel works on Django 1.3+

Installation

1. pip install django-submodel
2. Add submodel to INSTALLED_APPS in your current settings file.

Usage

# in you_app/models.py

from django.db import models
from submodel.fields import SubModelField


# Define (field_name, model_field_instance) tuples in "fields" parameter in SubModelField,
#   similar as normal Model definition
# If SubModelField such as pref field is newly added to an existed model,
#   you may want to use south to migrate the schema
class UserProfile(models.Model):
    realname = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    pref = SubModelField(u'user preference',
                 fields=(
                     ('title', models.CharField(max_length=10)),
                     ('color', models.IntegerField(choices=((0, 'Black'), (1, 'White')))),
                     ('birthday_day', models.DateTimeField()),
                     ('feel_luck', models.BooleanField(default=True))))

# in you_app/admin.py, to enable editing of sub fields of pref in Django admin

from submodel.admin import SubModelFieldInlineAdmin
from . models import UserProfile

class PrefInilneAdmin(SubModelFieldInlineAdmin):
    model = UserProfile._meta.get_field('pref').submodel # TODO improve

class UserProfileAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    inlines = [PrefInilneAdmin]

admin.site.register(UserProfile, UserProfileAdmin)

>>> # TODO in Python shell, the value of pref field as a model instance

TODO

• add tests
• simpler API
• dump and modify Deserializer to support missing subfields. schema policy?
• better history
• check compatibility w/ django-reversion and others ...
• possible config