Using a settings file other than settings.py in Django - django

Question

I want to use a different settings file in django -- specifically settings_prod -- yet whenever I try to do a syncdb with --settings=settings_prod, it complains:
python2.6 manage.py syncdb --settings=settings_prod
Error: Can't find the file 'settings.py' in the directory containing 'manage.py'. It appears you've customized things.
You'll have to run django-admin.py, passing it your settings module.
(If the file settings.py does indeed exist, it's causing an ImportError somehow.)
I've also tried setting the environment variable DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=settings_prod to no end.
Edit: I have also set the environment variable in my wsgi file, also to no end:
import os
import sys
from django.core.handlers.wsgi import WSGIHandler
os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = 'project.settings_prod'
application = WSGIHandler()
Suggestions?

Answer 1

Try creating a settings module.
Make a settings folder in the same directory as manage.py.
Put your different settings files in that folder (e.g. base.py and prod.py).
Make __init__.py and import whatever settings you want to use as your default. For example, your __init__.py file might look like this:
from base import *
Run your project and override the settings:
$ python2.6 manage.py syncdb --settings=settings.prod

Answer 2

I do know that no matter what you do with manage.py, you're going to get that error because manage.py does a relative import of settings:
try:
import settings # Assumed to be in the same directory.
http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/django-admin/#django-admin-option---settings
Note that this option is unnecessary
in manage.py, because it uses
settings.py from the current project
by default.
You should try django-admin.py syncdb --settings=mysettings instead

Answer 3

this works for me:
DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=config.settings.abc python manage.py migrate

Answer 4

this will help you:
create a another file "setting_prod.py" with your original settings.py file.
write down your setting which you need to run, in setting_prod.py file.
Then import setting_prod.py file in your settings.py file.
for ex.
settings.py:
VARIABLE = 1
import setting_prod
setting_prod.py
VARIABLE = 2
After importing setting_prod.py file in settings.py file, VARIABLE will set to new value to "2" from "1".

Answer 5

We can use this method to set different settings file, for example, I use different settings file for my unit test (settings_unit_test.py). Also I do have other settings file for different infrastructure environment settings_dev.py, settings_test.py and settings_prod.py.
In windows environment(same can done in linux as well)
set DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=settings_unit_test
set PYTHONPATH=<path_of_your_directory_where_this_file_'settings_unit_test.py'_is_kept>