Django Models

Django Models

Models define the structure of your database tables using Python classes. Each model maps to a single database table, and each attribute maps to a column.

Creating the Article Model

# articles/models.py
from django.db import models

class Article(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    slug = models.SlugField()
    body = models.TextField()
    date = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
    thumb = models.ImageField(default='default.png', blank=True)
    author = models.ForeignKey(
        'auth.User',
        on_delete=models.CASCADE,
        default=None
    )

    def __str__(self):
        return self.title

Field Types

Field	Type	Purpose
CharField	Short text	Title, name (requires max_length)
TextField	Long text	Article body, descriptions
DateTimeField	Date + time	Created/updated timestamps
SlugField	URL-safe string	URL-friendly version of the title
ImageField	Image upload	Thumbnails, photos
ForeignKey	Relationship	Links to another model (e.g., User)

Field Options

title = models.CharField(max_length=100)             # Required max_length
date = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)        # Auto-set on creation
thumb = models.ImageField(default='default.png', blank=True)  # Optional with default
author = models.ForeignKey('auth.User', on_delete=models.CASCADE)  # Delete articles when user deleted

The __str__ Method

def __str__(self):
    return self.title

This controls how the model appears in the admin panel and Python shell. Without it, you would see Article object (1) instead of the title.

Key Takeaways

• Models are Python classes that inherit from models.Model
• Each class attribute is a database column with a specific field type
• __str__ defines the display name in the admin and shell
• Models must be migrated before they exist in the database