Frequently Asked Questions¶

How do managers relate to Django models?¶

Managers declare fields using type hints. The nested interface class defines the Django model fields and handles ORM interactions. When a manager is instantiated, it wraps the interface and exposes typed attributes. The interface runs migrations and maintains the link to the database table.

How do I make the Django User model work with GeneralManager?¶

Wrap settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL with ExistingModelInterface from a manager-focused module such as myapp/managers.py. Keep the Django model in models.py, define the GeneralManager wrapper as User in managers.py, and import myapp.managers.User in shells and application code. GeneralManager auto-imports <app>.managers modules during startup, so the wrapper registers early enough for foreign-key relations to resolve back to the manager. See Connect a Custom User Model for the full setup, and the Existing model interface recipes for a shorter snippet.

Where should I register managers so Django finds the models?¶

Put managers in <app>.managers when possible. GeneralManager auto-imports that module during startup. If you use a different module layout, import the module containing your managers inside AppConfig.ready() so Django evaluates the interface definitions before dependent relations are introspected.

How can I override permissions for a one-time maintenance task?¶

All CRUD methods accept ignore_permission=True. Use it sparingly, preferably inside Django management commands guarded by staff-only access.

Project.create(ignore_permission=True, creator_id=system_user.id, name="Legacy")

Can I access the underlying Django model instance?¶

Yes. Interfaces expose a .model attribute. You can also retrieve the model via manager.Interface.model or use the primary key stored in manager.identification to query the ORM directly. Keep direct ORM usage read-only so that the dependency tracker remains accurate.

How do I add custom validation beyond rules?¶

Rules should cover most validation scenarios. For complex workflows, override Interface.clean() or hook into Django signals. When validation fails, raise ValidationError so the error propagates to GraphQL responses.

What is the recommended way to test managers?¶

Use factory classes derived from GeneralManager.Factory or your own fixtures to create test data. Write tests around buckets and GraphQL resolvers, not only the Django model layer. See Testing guides for detailed patterns.