Django rest framework serializing many to many field
PythonDjangoDjango ModelsDjango Rest-FrameworkDjango SerializerPython Problem Overview
How do I serialize a many-to-many field into list of something, and return them through rest framework? In my example below, I try to return the post together with a list of tags associated with it.
models.py
class post(models.Model):
tag = models.ManyToManyField(Tag)
text = models.CharField(max_length=100)
serializers.py
class PostSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
model = Post
fields = ("text", "tag"??)
views.py
class PostViewSet(viewsets.ReadOnlyModelViewSet):
queryset = Post.objects.all()
serializer_class = PostSerializer
Python Solutions
Solution 1 - Python
You will need a TagSerializer
, whose class Meta
has model = Tag
. After TagSerializer
is created, modify the PostSerializer
with many=True
for a ManyToManyField
relation:
class PostSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
tag = TagSerializer(read_only=True, many=True)
class Meta:
model = Post
fields = ('tag', 'text',)
Solution 2 - Python
This is what I did, let´s suppose a Book can have more than one author and an Author can have more than one book: On Model:
class Author(models.Model):
name = models.CharField(max_length=100, default="")
last_name = models.IntegerField(default=0)
class Book(models.Model):
authors = models.ManyToManyField(Author, related_name="book_list", blank=True)
name = models.CharField(max_length=100, default="")
published = models.BooleanField(default=True)
On Serializers:
class BookSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
authors = serializers.PrimaryKeyRelatedField(queryset=Author.objects.all(), many=True)
class Meta:
model = Book
fields = ('id', 'name', 'published', 'authors')
class AuthorSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
book_list = BookSerializer(many=True, read_only=True)
class Meta:
model = Author
fields = ('id', 'name', 'last_name', 'book_list')
Solution 3 - Python
Adding to @Brian's answer "tags": [{"name": "tag1"}] can be simplified to "tags": ["tag1", "tag2",...] in this way:
class TagListingField(serializers.RelatedField):
def to_representation(self, value):
return value.name
class PostSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
tag = TagListingField(many=True, read_only=True)
class Meta:
...
More info here: https://www.django-rest-framework.org/api-guide/relations/#custom-relational-fields
Solution 4 - Python
The default ModelSerializer
uses primary keys for relationships. However, you can easily generate nested representations using the Meta
depth
attribute:
class PostSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
model = Post
fields = ("text", "tag")
depth = 1
As mentioned in the documentation :
>The depth
option should be set to an integer value that indicates the depth of relationships that should be traversed before reverting to a flat representation.
Solution 5 - Python
This works for me.
tag = TagSerializer(source="tag", read_only=True, many=True)
Solution 6 - Python
Django 2.0
For many to many field, if you want specific one:
class QuestionSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
topics_list = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
def get_topics_list(self, instance):
names = []
a = instance.topics.get_queryset()
for i in a:
names.append(i.desc)
return names
class Meta:
model = Question
fields = ('topics_list',)
Solution 7 - Python
In the serializer on init method you can pass the queryset to the field and rest_framework valide the ids on that queryset
-
first extend your serializer from serializers.ModelSerializer
class YourSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
-
include the field on the meta class
class YourSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer): class Meta: fields = (..., 'your_field',)
-
in the init method:
def init(self, *args, **kwargs): super(YourSerializer, self).init(*args, **kwargs) self.fields['your_field].queryset =
You can limit the queryset for that field under any argument using filter or exclude like normally you do. In case that you want include all just use
Solution 8 - Python
models.py
class Tag(models.Model):
name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
# ===============
# ... rest of the fields ...
class Post(models.Model):
tag = models.ManyToManyField(Tag)
text = models.CharField(max_length=100)
serialiazers.py
class TagSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
model = Tag
fields = '__all__'
class PostSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
tags = TagSerializer(many=True, read_only=True)
class Meta:
model = Post
fields = ("text", "tag")
views.py
## FUNCTION BASED VIEW
def fbvPost_ListView(request):
# list
if request.method == "GET":
posts = Post.objects.all()
serializer = PostSerializer(instance=posts, many=True)
return JsonResponse(serializer.data, safe=False)
return JsonResponse({"success": False})
# ===========================================================
## CLASS BASED VIEW
class cbvPost_ListView(viewsets.ReadOnlyModelViewSet):
queryset = Post.objects.all()
serializer_class = PostSerializer
NB: Tag, Post are two models & we need to serialize them. Here, Post model have a dependency of Tag models, so here we explicitly mention it, [tags = TagSerializer(many=True, read_only=True)] or its return it's primary field value.
Solution 9 - Python
Hi I will be showing many to many for update and create. The context is the event can have many dances and dances can have many event.
The request will be as followed.
{
"competition": 2,
"title": "the title",
"dances":[ {"id":1},{"id":2}],
"description": "the desc"
}
The Create Function will be as followed.
def create(self, validated_data):
try:
dance_ids = []
for dance in self.initial_data['dances']:
if 'id' not in dance:
raise serializers.ValidationError({'detail': 'key error'})
dance_ids.append(dance['id'])
new_event = models.Event.objects.create(**validated_data)
if dance_ids:
for dance_id in dance_ids:
new_event.dances.add(dance_id)
new_event.save()
return new_event
except Exception as e:
raise serializers.ValidationError({'detail': e})
The Update Function will be as followed.
def update(self, instance, validated_data):
# Delete all records of genres.
try:
for current_genre in instance.dances.all():
instance.dances.remove(current_genre)
# Repopulate genres into instance.
for dance in self.initial_data['dances']:
if 'id' not in dance:
raise serializers.ValidationError({'detail': 'key error'})
dance_obj = models.Dance.objects.get(pk=dance['id'])
instance.dances.add(dance_obj)
event_updated = super().update(instance, validated_data)
return event_updated
except Exception as e:
raise serializers.ValidationError({'detail': e})
If you want to just do "dances":[1,2] instead, just make some amendments to the
for dance in self.initial_data['dances']:
if 'id' not in dance:
raise serializers.ValidationError({'detail': 'key error'})
dance_ids.append(dance['id'])
part. I hope this will be able to help yall out! :)
Solution 10 - Python
First, Tag needs its own serializer too
class TagSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
model = Tag
fields = '__all__'
Then in your PostSerializer, add one line
class PostSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
tag = TagSerializer(read_only=True, many=True).data
class Meta:
model = Post
fields = ("text", "tag")
This will make it so your Tag field in Post is an array of tag ids. if you don't put the ".data" part, it will put all of the attributes of tag, which is probably too much in most cases