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
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:
...
Answer is for DRF 3
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')
In the serializer on init method you can pass the queryset to the field and rest_framework valide the ids on that queryset
1) first extend your serializer from serializers.ModelSerializer
class YourSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
2) include the field on the meta class
class YourSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
fields = (..., 'your_field',)
3) in the init method:
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
super(YourSerializer, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
self.fields['your_field].queryset = <the queryset of your field>
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 .objects.all()
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',)
This works for me.
tag = TagSerializer(source="tag", read_only=True, many=True)