Pass request context to serializer from Viewset in Django Rest Framework - django

Question

I have a case where the values for a serializer field depend on the identity of the currently logged in user. I have seen how to add the user to the context when initializing a serializer, but I am not sure how to do this when using a ViewSet, as you only supply the serializer class and not the actual serializer instance.
Basically I would like to know how to go from:
class myModelViewSet(ModelViewSet):
queryset = myModel.objects.all()
permission_classes = [DjangoModelPermissions]
serializer_class = myModelSerializer
to:
class myModelSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
uploaded_by = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
special_field = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
class Meta:
model = myModel
def get_special_field(self, obj):
if self.context['request'].user.has_perm('something.add_something'):
return something
Sorry if it wasn't clear, from the DOCs:
Adding Extra Context
Which says to do
serializer = AccountSerializer(account, context={'request': request})
serializer.data
But I am not sure how to do that automatically from the viewset, as I only can change the serializer class, and not the serializer instance itself.

Answer 1

GenericViewSet has the get_serializer_context method which will let you update context:
class MyModelViewSet(ModelViewSet):
queryset = MyModel.objects.all()
permission_classes = [DjangoModelPermissions]
serializer_class = MyModelSerializer
def get_serializer_context(self):
context = super().get_serializer_context()
context.update({"request": self.request})
return context
For Python 2.7, use context = super(MyModelViewSet, self).get_serializer_context()

Answer 2

For Function based views you can pass request or user as follows:
serializer = ProductSerializer(context = {"request": request}, data=request.data)
Your Serializer may look like:
class ProductSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
model = Product
fields = ["id"]
def create(self, validated_data):
user = self.context["request"].user
print(f"User is: {user}")
Feel free to inform if there is any better way to do this.

Answer 3

just use get_serializer() in your viewsets
def get_serializer(self, *args, **kwargs):
"""
Return the serializer instance that should be used for validating and
deserializing input, and for serializing output.
"""
serializer_class = self.get_serializer_class()
kwargs['context'] = self.get_serializer_context()
return serializer_class(*args, **kwargs)

Answer 4

Return parent context in overrided function get_serializer_context will make it easy to access request and its data.
class myModelViewSet(ModelViewSet):
queryset = myModel.objects.all()
permission_classes = [DjangoModelPermissions]
serializer_class = myModelSerializer
def get_serializer_context(self):
"""
pass request attribute to serializer
"""
context = super(myModelViewSet, self).get_serializer_context()
return context
This is very stable as every time we request viewset, it returns context as well.

Answer 5

the values for a serializer field depend on the identity of the currently logged in user
This is how I handle such cases in my ModelViewSet:
def perform_create(self, serializer):
user = self.request.user
if user.username == 'myuser':
serializer.data['myfield'] = 'something'
serializer.save()

Answer 6

Simply add this 2 line method in your class and you are good to go.
def get_serializer_context(self):
return {'request': self.request}

Answer 7

since the posted answers had partial correctness, summarizing here in the interest of completeness.
override get_serializer_context..AND
use get_serializer in your views instead of manually calling the serializer