Django documentation

37. Fixtures.

This example is for Django's SVN release, which can be significantly different from previous releases. Get old examples here: 0.96, 0.95.

Fixtures are a way of loading data into the database in bulk. Fixure data can be stored in any serializable format (including JSON and XML). Fixtures are identified by name, and are stored in either a directory named ‘fixtures’ in the application directory, on in one of the directories named in the FIXTURE_DIRS setting.

Model source code

from django.db import models
from django.conf import settings

class Article(models.Model):
    headline = models.CharField(max_length=100, default='Default headline')
    pub_date = models.DateTimeField()

    def __unicode__(self):
        return self.headline

    class Meta:
        ordering = ('-pub_date', 'headline')

Sample API usage

This sample code assumes the above model has been saved in a file mysite/models.py. 

>>> from mysite.models import Article

>>> from django.core import management
>>> from django.db.models import get_app

# Reset the database representation of this app.
# This will return the database to a clean initial state.
>>> management.call_command('flush', verbosity=0, interactive=False)

# Syncdb introduces 1 initial data object from initial_data.json.
>>> Article.objects.all()
[<Article: Python program becomes self aware>]

# Load fixture 1. Single JSON file, with two objects.
>>> management.call_command('loaddata', 'fixture1.json', verbosity=0)
>>> Article.objects.all()
[<Article: Time to reform copyright>, <Article: Poker has no place on ESPN>, <Article: Python program becomes self aware>]

# Load fixture 2. JSON file imported by default. Overwrites some existing objects
>>> management.call_command('loaddata', 'fixture2.json', verbosity=0)
>>> Article.objects.all()
[<Article: Django conquers world!>, <Article: Copyright is fine the way it is>, <Article: Poker has no place on ESPN>, <Article: Python program becomes self aware>]

# Load fixture 3, XML format.
>>> management.call_command('loaddata', 'fixture3.xml', verbosity=0)
>>> Article.objects.all()
[<Article: XML identified as leading cause of cancer>, <Article: Django conquers world!>, <Article: Copyright is fine the way it is>, <Article: Poker on TV is great!>, <Article: Python program becomes self aware>]

# Load a fixture that doesn't exist
>>> management.call_command('loaddata', 'unknown.json', verbosity=0)

# object list is unaffected
>>> Article.objects.all()
[<Article: XML identified as leading cause of cancer>, <Article: Django conquers world!>, <Article: Copyright is fine the way it is>, <Article: Poker on TV is great!>, <Article: Python program becomes self aware>]

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