Is there any method in django to use database without creating models.py file?

Question

I am having a database with some data filled in it and i want to use it in my new django app. So is their any way to use data of database in my django app.Actually i don't want to make any changes in my old database and only want to use its data. Anybody please suggest me what will be the better approach to do this.

While serching i also found a command-inspectdb which can generate model.py file from database, but their are some issues with it that it does'nt map the foreign key in model.py, we need to rearrange our classes in model.py file and some more. So i am searching for some other alternative.

there's not much point using Django if you don't create models to match your db data. you should create models using inspectdb then edit them manually until they work — Anentropic
– Anentropic, Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 13:24
If the problem is just that inspectdb doesn't recognise the foreign key field, you just have to change the definition in your model, that's all. — Daniel Roseman
– Daniel Roseman, Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 13:25
As @Anentropic said, i'm afraid there is no good alternative to 'inspectdb'. I suggest you to read this article djangobook.com/en/2.0/chapter18.html for clean and good manual correction. — juree
– juree, Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 13:26
I just want to know if there any other better way to do this and If inspectdb is the best way i will definitely go with it.Thanks all. — Rahul Satal
– Rahul Satal, Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 13:34
Still i stuck in other problem that i am having two databases and on running inpectdb command it create model.py file with default db. Is there any way so that i can specify another database name in that command. — Rahul Satal
– Rahul Satal, Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 13:37

singer · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-05 14:00:39Z

5

You could access data from legacy database using connection.cursor() from django.db module.

If you have two dabases

DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'NAME': 'new_database',
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2',
        'USER': '',
        'PASSWORD': ''
    },
    'old': {
        'NAME': 'old_database',
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
        'USER': '',
        'PASSWORD': ''
    }
}

...

from django.db import connections
cursor = connections['old'].cursor()
cursor.execute("SELECT...")
cursor.fetchall()

refer to docs:

Executing custom SQL directly

Multiple databases

But if you want to modify data in your old database it is better idea to create models.py file and use it as always. Using inspectdb or not is up to you. For example you cold generate model using inpsectdb in separate temporary project, make dumpdata to create json files and upload data to your active project somehow.

edited Aug 5, 2015 at 14:00

answered Aug 5, 2015 at 13:54

singer

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3 Comments

Rahul Satal Over a year ago

thanks @singer. So by using this i need not to create two model.py files?

singer Over a year ago

You dont need to. Just access as raw sql your old data, even in another database

Rahul Satal Over a year ago

Ok as i dont want to update old database and i just want to use its data so i guess cursors will be best for me. Thanks @singer.

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