Django: Adding "created by" field to object - django

Question

I need to store the user who is creating a specific object in the database, like so:
(models.py)
class Address(models.Model):
createdBy = models.ForeignKey(User)
address1 = models.CharField("Address Line 1", max_length=40)
address2 = models.CharField("Address Line 2", max_length=40, blank=True)
city = models.CharField(max_length=20)
state = models.CharField(max_length=3)
zipCode = models.CharField("Postal Code", max_length=10)
My view for handling the form is here (views.py):
def handlePopAdd(request, addForm, field):
if request.method == "POST":
form = addForm(request.POST)
if form.is_valid():
try:
newObject = form.save(request)
except forms.ValidationError, error:
newObject = None
if newObject:
return HttpResponse('<script type="text/javascript">opener.dismissAddAnotherPopup(window, "%s", "%s");</script>'% (escape(newObject._get_pk_val()), escape(newObject)))
else:
form = addForm()
pageContext = {'form': form, 'field': field}
return render_to_response("address_popup.html", pageContext, context_instance=RequestContext(request))
And finally, here is my form code: (forms.py)
class AddressForm(forms.ModelForm):
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
self.request = kwargs.pop('request', None)
return super(AddressForm, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
obj = super(AddressForm, self).save(commit=False)
if self.request:
obj.createdBy = self.request.user
obj.save()
class Meta:
model = Address
exclude = ('createdBy',)
I am using the top answer suggested by this question, and have hit a wall after a few hours staring a hole through this.
Here's my traceback. Error is IntegrityError at /app/address/add/ (1048, "Column 'createdBy_id' cannot be null")
Traceback:
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/core/handlers/base.py" in get_response
111. response = callback(request, *callback_args, **callback_kwargs)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/contrib/auth/decorators.py" in _wrapped_view
23. return view_func(request, *args, **kwargs)
File "/home/matthew/lessonhelper/../lessonhelper/lessons/views.py" in address_add
78. return handlePopAdd(request, AddressForm, 'address')
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/contrib/auth/decorators.py" in _wrapped_view
23. return view_func(request, *args, **kwargs)
File "/home/matthew/lessonhelper/../lessonhelper/lessons/views.py" in handlePopAdd
66. newObject = form.save(request)
File "/home/matthew/lessonhelper/../lessonhelper/lessons/forms.py" in save
29. obj.save()
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/db/models/base.py" in save
460. self.save_base(using=using, force_insert=force_insert, force_update=force_update)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/db/models/base.py" in save_base
553. result = manager._insert(values, return_id=update_pk, using=using)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/db/models/manager.py" in _insert
195. return insert_query(self.model, values, **kwargs)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/db/models/query.py" in insert_query
1436. return query.get_compiler(using=using).execute_sql(return_id)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py" in execute_sql
791. cursor = super(SQLInsertCompiler, self).execute_sql(None)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py" in execute_sql
735. cursor.execute(sql, params)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/db/backends/util.py" in execute
34. return self.cursor.execute(sql, params)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py" in execute
86. return self.cursor.execute(query, args)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/MySQLdb/cursors.py" in execute
166. self.errorhandler(self, exc, value)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/MySQLdb/connections.py" in defaulterrorhandler
35. raise errorclass, errorvalue
Exception Type: IntegrityError at /app/address/add/
Exception Value: (1048, "Column 'createdBy_id' cannot be null"

Answer 1

You specifically defined logic to add the request to the form, but are not using it.
You need to instantiate your form with request as a keyword argument (according to your code).
form = addForm(request.POST, request=request)
save(request) does nothing with the request.
Most people prefer just accepting a new argument in save().
def save(self, request):
obj = super(AddressForm, self).save(commit=False)
obj.createdBy = request.user
obj.save()
Finally, there's no point in the if block in the save method if createdBy is not nullable: it's required. There's no "if" about it.

Answer 2

You excluded the createdBy field in your form and according to your Model definition, it's a required field since you're using a ModelForm.