Django documentation

17. Custom column names

These docs are frozen for Django version 0.91. For current documentation, go here.

If your database column name is different than your model attribute, use the db_column parameter. Note that you'll use the field's name, not its column name, in API usage.

Model source code

from django.core import meta

class Person(meta.Model):
    first_name = meta.CharField(maxlength=30, db_column='firstname')
    last_name = meta.CharField(maxlength=30, db_column='last')

    def __repr__(self):
        return '%s %s' % (self.first_name, self.last_name)

API reference

Person objects have the following methods:

  • delete()
  • save()

Sample API usage

This sample code assumes the above model has been saved in a file examplemodel.py. 

>>> from django.models.examplemodel import persons

# Create a Person.
>>> p = persons.Person(first_name='John', last_name='Smith')
>>> p.save()

>>> p.id
1

>>> persons.get_list()
[John Smith]

>>> persons.get_list(first_name__exact='John')
[John Smith]

>>> persons.get_object(first_name__exact='John')
John Smith

>>> persons.get_list(firstname__exact='John')
Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...
TypeError: got unexpected keyword argument 'firstname__exact'

>>> p = persons.get_object(last_name__exact='Smith')
>>> p.first_name
'John'
>>> p.last_name
'Smith'
>>> p.firstname
Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...
AttributeError: 'Person' object has no attribute 'firstname'
>>> p.last
Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...
AttributeError: 'Person' object has no attribute 'last'

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