mirror of https://github.com/django/django.git
670 lines
29 KiB
Plaintext
670 lines
29 KiB
Plaintext
==========
|
|
Django FAQ
|
|
==========
|
|
|
|
General questions
|
|
=================
|
|
|
|
Why does this project exist?
|
|
----------------------------
|
|
|
|
Django grew from a very practical need: World Online, a newspaper Web
|
|
operation, is responsible for building intensive Web applications on journalism
|
|
deadlines. In the fast-paced newsroom, World Online often has only a matter of
|
|
hours to take a complicated Web application from concept to public launch.
|
|
|
|
At the same time, the World Online Web developers have consistently been
|
|
perfectionists when it comes to following best practices of Web development.
|
|
|
|
In fall 2003, the World Online developers (Adrian Holovaty and Simon Willison)
|
|
ditched PHP and began using Python to develop its Web sites. As they built
|
|
intensive, richly interactive sites such as Lawrence.com, they began to extract
|
|
a generic Web development framework that let them build Web applications more
|
|
and more quickly. They tweaked this framework constantly, adding improvements
|
|
over two years.
|
|
|
|
In summer 2005, World Online decided to open-source the resulting software,
|
|
Django. Django would not be possible without a whole host of open-source
|
|
projects -- `Apache`_, `Python`_, and `PostgreSQL`_ to name a few -- and we're
|
|
thrilled to be able to give something back to the open-source community.
|
|
|
|
.. _Apache: http://httpd.apache.org/
|
|
.. _Python: http://www.python.org/
|
|
.. _PostgreSQL: http://www.postgresql.org/
|
|
|
|
What does "Django" mean, and how do you pronounce it?
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Django is named after `Django Reinhardt`_, a gypsy jazz guitarist from the 1930s
|
|
to early 1950s. To this day, he's considered one of the best guitarists of all time.
|
|
|
|
Listen to his music. You'll like it.
|
|
|
|
Django is pronounced **JANG**-oh. Rhymes with FANG-oh. The "D" is silent.
|
|
|
|
.. _Django Reinhardt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Reinhardt
|
|
|
|
Is Django stable?
|
|
-----------------
|
|
|
|
Yes. World Online has been using Django for more than three years. Sites built
|
|
on Django have weathered traffic spikes of over one million hits an hour and a
|
|
number of Slashdottings. Yes, it's quite stable.
|
|
|
|
Does Django scale?
|
|
------------------
|
|
|
|
Yes. Compared to development time, hardware is cheap, and so Django is
|
|
designed to take advantage of as much hardware as you can throw at it.
|
|
|
|
Django uses a "shared-nothing" architecture, which means you can add hardware
|
|
at any level -- database servers, caching servers or Web/application servers.
|
|
|
|
The framework cleanly separates components such as its database layer and
|
|
application layer. And it ships with a simple-yet-powerful `cache framework`_.
|
|
|
|
.. _`cache framework`: ../cache/
|
|
|
|
Who's behind this?
|
|
------------------
|
|
|
|
Django was developed at `World Online`_, the Web department of a newspaper in
|
|
Lawrence, Kansas, USA.
|
|
|
|
`Adrian Holovaty`_
|
|
Adrian is a Web developer with a background in journalism. He was lead
|
|
developer at World Online for 2.5 years, during which time Django was
|
|
developed and implemented on World Online's sites. Now he works for
|
|
washingtonpost.com building rich, database-backed information sites, and
|
|
continues to oversee Django development. He likes playing guitar (Django
|
|
Reinhardt style) and hacking on side projects such as `chicagocrime.org`_.
|
|
He lives in Chicago.
|
|
|
|
On IRC, Adrian goes by ``adrian_h``.
|
|
|
|
`Jacob Kaplan-Moss`_
|
|
Jacob is a whipper-snapper from California who spends equal time coding and
|
|
cooking. He's lead developer at World Online and actively hacks on various
|
|
cool side projects. He's contributed to the Python-ObjC bindings and was
|
|
the first guy to figure out how to write Tivo apps in Python. Lately he's
|
|
been messing with Python on the PSP. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas.
|
|
|
|
On IRC, Jacob goes by ``jacobkm``.
|
|
|
|
`Simon Willison`_
|
|
Simon is a well-respected Web developer from England. He had a one-year
|
|
internship at World Online, during which time he and Adrian developed
|
|
Django from scratch. The most enthusiastic Brit you'll ever meet, he's
|
|
passionate about best practices in Web development and has maintained a
|
|
well-read Web-development blog for years at http://simon.incutio.com.
|
|
He works for Yahoo UK, where he managed to score the title "Hacker Liason."
|
|
He lives in London.
|
|
|
|
On IRC, Simon goes by ``SimonW``.
|
|
|
|
`Wilson Miner`_
|
|
Wilson's design-fu makes us all look like rock stars. By day, he's an
|
|
interactive designer for `Apple`. Don't ask him what he's working on, or
|
|
he'll have to kill you. He lives in San Francisco.
|
|
|
|
On IRC, Wilson goes by ``wilsonian``.
|
|
|
|
.. _`World Online`: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/WorldOnline
|
|
.. _`Adrian Holovaty`: http://www.holovaty.com/
|
|
.. _`washingtonpost.com`: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
|
|
.. _`chicagocrime.org`: http://www.chicagocrime.org/
|
|
.. _`Simon Willison`: http://simon.incutio.com/
|
|
.. _`simon.incutio.com`: http://simon.incutio.com/
|
|
.. _`Jacob Kaplan-Moss`: http://www.jacobian.org/
|
|
.. _`Wilson Miner`: http://www.wilsonminer.com/
|
|
.. _`Apple`: http://www.apple.com/
|
|
|
|
Which sites use Django?
|
|
-----------------------
|
|
|
|
The Django wiki features a consistently growing `list of Django-powered sites`_.
|
|
Feel free to add your Django-powered site to the list.
|
|
|
|
.. _list of Django-powered sites: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/DjangoPoweredSites
|
|
|
|
Django appears to be a MVC framework, but you call the Controller the "view", and the View the "template". How come you don't use the standard names?
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Well, the standard names are debatable.
|
|
|
|
In our interpretation of MVC, the "view" describes the data that gets presented
|
|
to the user. It's not necessarily *how* the data *looks*, but *which* data is
|
|
presented. The view describes *which data you see*, not *how you see it.* It's
|
|
a subtle distinction.
|
|
|
|
So, in our case, a "view" is the Python callback function for a particular URL,
|
|
because that callback function describes which data is presented.
|
|
|
|
Furthermore, it's sensible to separate content from presentation -- which is
|
|
where templates come in. In Django, a "view" describes which data is presented,
|
|
but a view normally delegates to a template, which describes *how* the data is
|
|
presented.
|
|
|
|
Where does the "controller" fit in, then? In Django's case, it's probably the
|
|
framework itself: the machinery that sends a request to the appropriate view,
|
|
according to the Django URL configuration.
|
|
|
|
If you're hungry for acronyms, you might say that Django is a "MTV" framework
|
|
-- that is, "model", "template", and "view." That breakdown makes much more
|
|
sense.
|
|
|
|
At the end of the day, of course, it comes down to getting stuff done. And,
|
|
regardless of how things are named, Django gets stuff done in a way that's most
|
|
logical to us.
|
|
|
|
<Framework X> does <feature Y> -- why doesn't Django?
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
We're well aware that there are other awesome Web frameworks out there, and
|
|
we're not averse to borrowing ideas where appropriate. However, Django was
|
|
developed precisely because we were unhappy with the status quo, so please be
|
|
aware that "because <Framework X>" does it is not going to be sufficient reason
|
|
to add a given feature to Django.
|
|
|
|
Why did you write all of Django from scratch, instead of using other Python libraries?
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
When Django was originally written a couple of years ago, Adrian and Simon
|
|
spent quite a bit of time exploring the various Python Web frameworks
|
|
available.
|
|
|
|
In our opinion, none of them were completely up to snuff.
|
|
|
|
We're picky. You might even call us perfectionists. (With deadlines.)
|
|
|
|
Over time, we stumbled across open-source libraries that did things we'd
|
|
already implemented. It was reassuring to see other people solving similar
|
|
problems in similar ways, but it was too late to integrate outside code: We'd
|
|
already written, tested and implemented our own framework bits in several
|
|
production settings -- and our own code met our needs delightfully.
|
|
|
|
In most cases, however, we found that existing frameworks/tools inevitably had
|
|
some sort of fundamental, fatal flaw that made us squeamish. No tool fit our
|
|
philosophies 100%.
|
|
|
|
Like we said: We're picky.
|
|
|
|
We've documented our philosophies on the `design philosophies page`_.
|
|
|
|
.. _design philosophies page: ../design_philosophies/
|
|
|
|
Do you have any of those nifty "screencast" things?
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
You can bet your bottom they're on the way. But, since we're still hammering
|
|
out a few points, we want to make sure they reflect the final state of things
|
|
at Django 1.0, not some intermediary step. In other words, we don't want to
|
|
spend a lot of energy creating screencasts yet, because Django APIs will shift.
|
|
|
|
In the meantime, though, check out this `unofficial Django screencast`_.
|
|
|
|
.. _unofficial Django screencast: http://www.throwingbeans.org/django_screencasts.html
|
|
|
|
Is Django a content-management-system (CMS)?
|
|
--------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
No, Django is not a CMS, or any sort of "turnkey product" in and of itself.
|
|
It's a Web framework; it's a programming tool that lets you build Web sites.
|
|
|
|
For example, it doesn't make much sense to compare Django to something like
|
|
Drupal_, because Django is something you use to *create* things like Drupal.
|
|
|
|
Of course, Django's automatic admin site is fantastic and timesaving -- but
|
|
the admin site is one module of Django the framework. Furthermore, although
|
|
Django has special conveniences for building "CMS-y" apps, that doesn't mean
|
|
it's not just as appropriate for building "non-CMS-y" apps (whatever that
|
|
means!).
|
|
|
|
.. _Drupal: http://drupal.org/
|
|
|
|
When will you release Django 1.0?
|
|
---------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Short answer: When we're comfortable with Django's APIs, have added all
|
|
features that we feel are necessary to earn a "1.0" status, and are ready to
|
|
begin maintaining backwards compatibility.
|
|
|
|
The merging of Django's `magic-removal branch`_ went a long way toward Django
|
|
1.0.
|
|
|
|
Of course, you should note that `quite a few production sites`_ use Django in
|
|
its current status. Don't let the lack of a 1.0 turn you off.
|
|
|
|
.. _magic-removal branch: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/RemovingTheMagic
|
|
.. _quite a few production sites: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/DjangoPoweredSites
|
|
|
|
How can I download the Django documentation to read it offline?
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
The Django docs are available in the ``docs`` directory of each Django tarball
|
|
release. These docs are in ReST (ReStructured Text) format, and each text file
|
|
corresponds to a Web page on the official Django site.
|
|
|
|
Because the documentation is `stored in revision control`_, you can browse
|
|
documentation changes just like you can browse code changes.
|
|
|
|
Technically, the docs on Django's site are generated from the latest development
|
|
versions of those ReST documents, so the docs on the Django site may offer more
|
|
information than the docs that come with the latest Django release.
|
|
|
|
.. _stored in revision control: http://code.djangoproject.com/browser/django/trunk/docs
|
|
|
|
Where can I find Django developers for hire?
|
|
--------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Consult our `developers for hire page`_ for a list of Django developers who
|
|
would be happy to help you.
|
|
|
|
You might also be interested in posting a job to http://www.gypsyjobs.com/ .
|
|
|
|
.. _developers for hire page: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/DevelopersForHire
|
|
|
|
Installation questions
|
|
======================
|
|
|
|
How do I get started?
|
|
---------------------
|
|
|
|
#. `Download the code`_.
|
|
#. Install Django (read the `installation guide`_).
|
|
#. Walk through the tutorial_.
|
|
#. Check out the rest of the documentation_, and `ask questions`_ if you
|
|
run into trouble.
|
|
|
|
.. _`Download the code`: http://www.djangoproject.com/download/
|
|
.. _`installation guide`: ../install/
|
|
.. _tutorial: ../tutorial1/
|
|
.. _documentation: ../
|
|
.. _ask questions: http://www.djangoproject.com/community/
|
|
|
|
How do I fix the "install a later version of setuptools" error?
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Just run the ``ez_setup.py`` script in the Django distribution.
|
|
|
|
What are Django's prerequisites?
|
|
--------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Django requires Python_ 2.3 or later. No other Python libraries are required
|
|
for basic Django usage.
|
|
|
|
For a development environment -- if you just want to experiment with Django --
|
|
you don't need to have a separate Web server installed; Django comes with its
|
|
own lightweight development server. For a production environment, we recommend
|
|
`Apache 2`_ and mod_python_, although Django follows the WSGI_ spec, which
|
|
means it can run on a variety of server platforms.
|
|
|
|
If you want to use Django with a database, which is probably the case, you'll
|
|
also need a database engine. PostgreSQL_ is recommended, because we're
|
|
PostgreSQL fans, and MySQL_ and `SQLite 3`_ are also supported.
|
|
|
|
.. _Python: http://www.python.org/
|
|
.. _Apache 2: http://httpd.apache.org/
|
|
.. _mod_python: http://www.modpython.org/
|
|
.. _WSGI: http://www.python.org/peps/pep-0333.html
|
|
.. _PostgreSQL: http://www.postgresql.org/
|
|
.. _MySQL: http://www.mysql.com/
|
|
.. _`SQLite 3`: http://www.sqlite.org/
|
|
|
|
Do I lose anything by using Python 2.3 versus newer Python versions, such as Python 2.5?
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
No. Django itself is guaranteed to work with any version of Python from 2.3
|
|
and higher.
|
|
|
|
If you use a Python version newer than 2.3, you will, of course, be able to
|
|
take advantage of newer Python features in your own code, along with the speed
|
|
improvements and other optimizations that have been made to the Python language
|
|
itself. But the Django framework itself should work equally well on 2.3 as it
|
|
does on 2.4 or 2.5.
|
|
|
|
Do I have to use mod_python?
|
|
----------------------------
|
|
|
|
Although we recommend mod_python for production use, you don't have to use it,
|
|
thanks to the fact that Django uses an arrangement called WSGI_. Django can
|
|
talk to any WSGI-enabled server. The most common non-mod_python deployment
|
|
setup is FastCGI. See `How to use Django with FastCGI`_ for full information.
|
|
|
|
Also, see the `server arrangements wiki page`_ for other deployment strategies.
|
|
|
|
If you just want to play around and develop things on your local computer, use
|
|
the development Web server that comes with Django. Things should Just Work.
|
|
|
|
.. _WSGI: http://www.python.org/peps/pep-0333.html
|
|
.. _How to use Django with FastCGI: ../fastcgi/
|
|
.. _server arrangements wiki page: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/ServerArrangements
|
|
|
|
How do I install mod_python on Windows?
|
|
---------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
* For Python 2.4, grab mod_python from `win32 build of mod_python for
|
|
Python 2.4`_.
|
|
* For Python 2.4, check out this `Django on Windows howto`_.
|
|
* For Python 2.3, grab mod_python from http://www.modpython.org/ and read
|
|
`Running mod_python on Apache on Windows2000`_.
|
|
* Also, try this (not Windows-specific) `guide to getting mod_python
|
|
working`_.
|
|
|
|
.. _`win32 build of mod_python for Python 2.4`: http://www.lehuen.com/nicolas/index.php/2005/02/21/39-win32-build-of-mod_python-314-for-python-24
|
|
.. _`Django on Windows howto`: http://thinkhole.org/wp/2006/04/03/django-on-windows-howto/
|
|
.. _`Running mod_python on Apache on Windows2000`: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/139af8c83a5a9d4f
|
|
.. _`guide to getting mod_python working`: http://www.dscpl.com.au/articles/modpython-001.html
|
|
|
|
Will Django run under shared hosting (like TextDrive or Dreamhost)?
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
See our `Django-friendly Web hosts`_ page.
|
|
|
|
.. _`Django-friendly Web hosts`: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/DjangoFriendlyWebHosts
|
|
|
|
Should I use the official version or development version?
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
The Django developers improve Django every day and are pretty good about not
|
|
checking in broken code. We use the development code (from the Subversion
|
|
repository) directly on our servers, so we consider it stable. With that in
|
|
mind, we recommend that you use the latest development code, because it
|
|
generally contains more features and fewer bugs than the "official" releases.
|
|
|
|
Using Django
|
|
============
|
|
|
|
Why do I get an error about importing DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE?
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Make sure that:
|
|
|
|
* The environment variable DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE is set to a fully-qualified
|
|
Python module (i.e. "mysite.settings.main").
|
|
|
|
* Said module is on ``sys.path`` (``import mysite.settings.main`` should work).
|
|
|
|
* The module doesn't contain syntax errors (of course).
|
|
|
|
* If you're using mod_python but *not* using Django's request handler,
|
|
you'll need to work around a mod_python bug related to the use of
|
|
``SetEnv``; before you import anything from Django you'll need to do
|
|
the following::
|
|
|
|
os.environ.update(req.subprocess_env)
|
|
|
|
(where ``req`` is the mod_python request object).
|
|
|
|
I can't stand your template language. Do I have to use it?
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
We happen to think our template engine is the best thing since chunky bacon,
|
|
but we recognize that choosing a template language runs close to religion.
|
|
There's nothing about Django that requires using the template language, so
|
|
if you're attached to ZPT, Cheetah, or whatever, feel free to use those.
|
|
|
|
Do I have to use your model/database layer?
|
|
-------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Nope. Just like the template system, the model/database layer is decoupled from
|
|
the rest of the framework.
|
|
|
|
The one exception is: If you use a different database library, you won't get to
|
|
use Django's automatically-generated admin site. That app is coupled to the
|
|
Django database layer.
|
|
|
|
How do I use image and file fields?
|
|
-----------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Using a ``FileField`` or an ``ImageField`` in a model takes a few steps:
|
|
|
|
#. In your settings file, define ``MEDIA_ROOT`` as the full path to
|
|
a directory where you'd like Django to store uploaded files. (For
|
|
performance, these files are not stored in the database.) Define
|
|
``MEDIA_URL`` as the base public URL of that directory. Make sure that
|
|
this directory is writable by the Web server's user account.
|
|
|
|
#. Add the ``FileField`` or ``ImageField`` to your model, making sure
|
|
to define the ``upload_to`` option to tell Django to which subdirectory
|
|
of ``MEDIA_ROOT`` it should upload files.
|
|
|
|
#. All that will be stored in your database is a path to the file
|
|
(relative to ``MEDIA_ROOT``). You'll must likely want to use the
|
|
convenience ``get_<fieldname>_url`` function provided by Django. For
|
|
example, if your ``ImageField`` is called ``mug_shot``, you can get the
|
|
absolute URL to your image in a template with
|
|
``{{ object.get_mug_shot_url }}``.
|
|
|
|
Databases and models
|
|
====================
|
|
|
|
How can I see the raw SQL queries Django is running?
|
|
----------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Make sure your Django ``DEBUG`` setting is set to ``True``. Then, just do
|
|
this::
|
|
|
|
>>> from django.db import connection
|
|
>>> connection.queries
|
|
[{'sql': 'SELECT polls_polls.id,polls_polls.question,polls_polls.pub_date FROM polls_polls',
|
|
'time': '0.002'}]
|
|
|
|
``connection.queries`` is only available if ``DEBUG`` is ``True``. It's a list
|
|
of dictionaries in order of query execution. Each dictionary has the following::
|
|
|
|
``sql`` -- The raw SQL statement
|
|
``time`` -- How long the statement took to execute, in seconds.
|
|
|
|
``connection.queries`` includes all SQL statements -- INSERTs, UPDATES,
|
|
SELECTs, etc. Each time your app hits the database, the query will be recorded.
|
|
|
|
Can I use Django with a pre-existing database?
|
|
----------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Yes. See `Integrating with a legacy database`_.
|
|
|
|
.. _`Integrating with a legacy database`: ../legacy_databases/
|
|
|
|
If I make changes to a model, how do I update the database?
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
If you don't mind clearing data, your project's ``manage.py`` utility has an
|
|
option to reset the SQL for a particular application::
|
|
|
|
manage.py reset appname
|
|
|
|
This drops any tables associated with ``appname`` and recreates them.
|
|
|
|
If you do care about deleting data, you'll have to execute the ``ALTER TABLE``
|
|
statements manually in your database. That's the way we've always done it,
|
|
because dealing with data is a very sensitive operation that we've wanted to
|
|
avoid automating. That said, there's some work being done to add partially
|
|
automated database-upgrade functionality.
|
|
|
|
Do Django models support multiple-column primary keys?
|
|
------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
No. Only single-column primary keys are supported.
|
|
|
|
But this isn't an issue in practice, because there's nothing stopping you from
|
|
adding other constraints (using the ``unique_together`` model option or
|
|
creating the constraint directly in your database), and enforcing the
|
|
uniqueness at that level. Single-column primary keys are needed for things such
|
|
as the admin interface to work; e.g., you need a simple way of being able to
|
|
specify an object to edit or delete.
|
|
|
|
How do I add database-specific options to my CREATE TABLE statements, such as specifying MyISAM as the table type?
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
We try to avoid adding special cases in the Django code to accommodate all the
|
|
database-specific options such as table type, etc. If you'd like to use any of
|
|
these options, create an `SQL initial data file`_ that contains ``ALTER TABLE``
|
|
statements that do what you want to do. The initial data files are executed in
|
|
your database after the ``CREATE TABLE`` statements.
|
|
|
|
For example, if you're using MySQL and want your tables to use the MyISAM table
|
|
type, create an initial data file and put something like this in it::
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE myapp_mytable ENGINE=MyISAM;
|
|
|
|
As explained in the `SQL initial data file`_ documentation, this SQL file can
|
|
contain arbitrary SQL, so you can make any sorts of changes you need to make.
|
|
|
|
.. _SQL initial data file: ../model_api/#providing-initial-sql-data
|
|
|
|
Why is Django leaking memory?
|
|
-----------------------------
|
|
|
|
Django isn't known to leak memory. If you find your Django processes are
|
|
allocating more and more memory, with no sign of releasing it, check to make
|
|
sure your ``DEBUG`` setting is set to ``True``. If ``DEBUG`` is ``True``, then
|
|
Django saves a copy of every SQL statement it has executed.
|
|
|
|
(The queries are saved in ``django.db.connection.queries``. See
|
|
`How can I see the raw SQL queries Django is running?`_.)
|
|
|
|
To fix the problem, set ``DEBUG`` to ``False``.
|
|
|
|
If you need to clear the query list manually at any point in your functions,
|
|
just call ``reset_queries()``, like this::
|
|
|
|
from django import db
|
|
db.reset_queries()
|
|
|
|
The admin site
|
|
==============
|
|
|
|
I can't log in. When I enter a valid username and password, it just brings up the login page again, with no error messages.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
The login cookie isn't being set correctly, because the domain of the cookie
|
|
sent out by Django doesn't match the domain in your browser. Try these two
|
|
things:
|
|
|
|
* Set the ``SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN`` setting in your admin config file
|
|
to match your domain. For example, if you're going to
|
|
"http://www.mysite.com/admin/" in your browser, in
|
|
"myproject.settings" you should set ``SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN = 'www.mysite.com'``.
|
|
|
|
* Some browsers (Firefox?) don't like to accept cookies from domains that
|
|
don't have dots in them. If you're running the admin site on "localhost"
|
|
or another domain that doesn't have a dot in it, try going to
|
|
"localhost.localdomain" or "127.0.0.1". And set
|
|
``SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN`` accordingly.
|
|
|
|
I can't log in. When I enter a valid username and password, it brings up the login page again, with a "Please enter a correct username and password" error.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
If you're sure your username and password are correct, make sure your user
|
|
account has ``is_active`` and ``is_staff`` set to True. The admin site only
|
|
allows access to users with those two fields both set to True.
|
|
|
|
How can I prevent the cache middleware from caching the admin site?
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Set the ``CACHE_MIDDLEWARE_ANONYMOUS_ONLY`` setting to ``True``. See the
|
|
`cache documentation`_ for more information.
|
|
|
|
.. _cache documentation: ../cache/#the-per-site-cache
|
|
|
|
How do I automatically set a field's value to the user who last edited the object in the admin?
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
At this point, Django doesn't have an official way to do this. But it's an oft-requested
|
|
feature, so we're discussing how it can be implemented. The problem is we don't want to couple
|
|
the model layer with the admin layer with the request layer (to get the current user). It's a
|
|
tricky problem.
|
|
|
|
One person hacked up a `solution that doesn't require patching Django`_, but note that it's an
|
|
unofficial solution, and there's no guarantee it won't break at some point.
|
|
|
|
.. _solution that doesn't require patching Django: http://lukeplant.me.uk/blog.php?id=1107301634
|
|
|
|
How do I limit admin access so that objects can only be edited by the users who created them?
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
See the answer to the previous question.
|
|
|
|
My admin-site CSS and images showed up fine using the development server, but they're not displaying when using mod_python.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
See `serving the admin files`_ in the "How to use Django with mod_python"
|
|
documentation.
|
|
|
|
.. _serving the admin files: ../modpython/#serving-the-admin-files
|
|
|
|
My "list_filter" contains a ManyToManyField, but the filter doesn't display.
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Django won't bother displaying the filter for a ``ManyToManyField`` if there
|
|
are fewer than two related objects.
|
|
|
|
For example, if your ``list_filter`` includes ``sites``, and there's only one
|
|
site in your database, it won't display a "Site" filter. In that case,
|
|
filtering by site would be meaningless.
|
|
|
|
How can I customize the functionality of the admin interface?
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
You've got several options. If you want to piggyback on top of an add/change
|
|
form that Django automatically generates, you can attach arbitrary JavaScript
|
|
modules to the page via the model's ``class Admin`` ``js`` parameter. That
|
|
parameter is a list of URLs, as strings, pointing to JavaScript modules that
|
|
will be included within the admin form via a ``<script>`` tag.
|
|
|
|
If you want more flexibility than simply tweaking the auto-generated forms,
|
|
feel free to write custom views for the admin. The admin is powered by Django
|
|
itself, and you can write custom views that hook into the authentication
|
|
system, check permissions and do whatever else they need to do.
|
|
|
|
If you want to customize the look-and-feel of the admin interface, read the
|
|
next question.
|
|
|
|
The dynamically-generated admin site is ugly! How can I change it?
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
We like it, but if you don't agree, you can modify the admin site's
|
|
presentation by editing the CSS stylesheet and/or associated image files. The
|
|
site is built using semantic HTML and plenty of CSS hooks, so any changes you'd
|
|
like to make should be possible by editing the stylesheet. We've got a
|
|
`guide to the CSS used in the admin`_ to get you started.
|
|
|
|
.. _`guide to the CSS used in the admin`: ../admin_css/
|
|
|
|
How do I create users without having to edit password hashes?
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
If you'd like to use the admin site to create users, upgrade to the Django
|
|
development version, where this problem was fixed on Aug. 4, 2006.
|
|
|
|
You can also use the Python API. See `creating users`_ for full info.
|
|
|
|
.. _creating users: ../authentication/#creating-users
|
|
|
|
Contributing code
|
|
=================
|
|
|
|
How can I get started contributing code to Django?
|
|
--------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Thanks for asking! We've written an entire document devoted to this question.
|
|
It's titled `Contributing to Django`_.
|
|
|
|
.. _Contributing to Django: ../contributing/
|
|
|
|
I submitted a bug fix in the ticket system several weeks ago. Why are you ignoring my patch?
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Don't worry: We're not ignoring you!
|
|
|
|
It's important to understand there is a difference between "a ticket is being
|
|
ignored" and "a ticket has not been attended to yet." Django's ticket system
|
|
contains hundreds of open tickets, of various degrees of impact on end-user
|
|
functionality, and Django's developers have to review and prioritize.
|
|
|
|
Besides, if your feature request stands no chance of inclusion in Django, we
|
|
won't ignore it -- we'll just close the ticket. So if your ticket is still
|
|
open, it doesn't mean we're ignoring you; it just means we haven't had time to
|
|
look at it yet.
|