Mastering Proxy Models in Django

In Django, a proxy model is a way to create a different Python class with the same database table and fields as an existing model. Proxy models are useful when you want to change the behavior of a model without changing the original model’s fields or methods. Here’s a complete example to demonstrate how to create and use a proxy model in Django.

Suppose we have a simple Django app named myapp with an existing model called Person:

1. Original Model (Person): This is the model we want to proxy.
   
   

# app/models.py

from django.db import models

class Person(models.Model):
    first_name = models.CharField(max_length=50)
    last_name = models.CharField(max_length=50)
    age = models.IntegerField()

    def __str__(self):
        return f"{self.first_name} {self.last_name}"

2. Proxy Model (Employee): We will create a proxy model named Employee based on the Person model.

# app/models.py

class Employee(Person):
    class Meta:
        proxy = True

    def get_employee_info(self):
        return f"{self.first_name} {self.last_name} - Age: {self.age}"

In this example:

• Meta class with proxy = True: This indicates that Employee is a proxy model based on Person.
  
• Additional method (get_employee_info): We’ve added a new method get_employee_info to the Employee proxy model. Proxy models can have their own methods and properties in addition to those inherited from the original model.

3. Using the Proxy Model: Now, we can use the Employee proxy model in our Django views or anywhere else in our application:

# views.py or wherever you use models

from app.models import Person, Employee

# Original model usage
people = Person.objects.all()

for person in people:
    print(person)

# Proxy model usage
employees = Employee.objects.all() # Proxy Model

for emp in employees:
    print(emp.get_employee_info()) # Method defined in Proxy Model

Summary

• Proxy models in Django allow you to create a new Python class that behaves almost exactly like an existing model but can have additional methods, properties, or different meta options.
• They are particularly useful when you want to add specific methods or customize behavior without altering the original model.

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Source: Django Documentation