[Django] #32791: Documentation unclear on custom user models
Django
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Reporter: Matthew Somerville | Owner: nobody
Type: Uncategorized | Status: new
Component: Documentation | Version: 3.2
Severity: Normal | Keywords:
Triage Stage: Unreviewed | Has patch: 0
Needs documentation: 0 | Needs tests: 0
Patch needs improvement: 0 | Easy pickings: 0
UI/UX: 0 |
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At https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.2/topics/auth/customizing/#using-a
-custom-user-model-when-starting-a-project it says "If you’re starting a
new project, it’s highly recommended to set up a custom user model, even
if the default User model is sufficient for you." and shows a subclass of
AbstractUser as a starting example.
Yet a few sections down at
https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.2/topics/auth/customizing/#specifying-a
-custom-user-model it says "When you start your project with a custom user
model, stop to consider if this is the right choice for your project." and
then recommends inheriting from AbstractBaseUser. - But the docs told me
it's highly recommended as the right choice :)
Then further down again at
https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.2/topics/auth/customizing/#extending-
django-s-default-user it says "If you’re entirely happy with Django’s User
model, but you want to add some additional profile information, you could
subclass django.contrib.auth.models.AbstractUser and add your custom
profile fields, although we’d recommend a separate model as described in
the “Model design considerations” note of Specifying a custom user model."
- but in the first section you specifically gave an example of subclassing
AbstractUser, so how can it now not be recommended in the same document.
Recommending the AbstractUser subclass comes from #24370 and the second
part comes from toning down the message, in #20629. After reading this for
a new project, I am quite confused. I made a start at trying to tidy it
up, but I wasn't sure what would actually come first and what it should
say where, so decided to open this ticket instead.
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Ticket URL: <https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/32791>
Django <https://code.djangoproject.com/>
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Django
Reporter: Matthew Somerville | Owner: Nishant
| Sagar
Type: Uncategorized | Status: assigned
Component: Documentation | Version: 3.2
Severity: Normal | Resolution:
Keywords: | Triage Stage:
| Unreviewed
Has patch: 0 | Needs documentation: 0
Needs tests: 0 | Patch needs improvement: 0
Easy pickings: 0 | UI/UX: 0
Changes (by Nishant Sagar):
* owner: nobody => Nishant Sagar
* status: new => assigned
--
Ticket URL: <https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/32791#comment:1>
Django
Reporter: Matthew Somerville | Owner: Nishant
| Sagar
Component: Documentation | Version: 3.2
Severity: Normal | Resolution: needsinfo
Keywords: | Triage Stage:
| Unreviewed
Has patch: 0 | Needs documentation: 0
Needs tests: 0 | Patch needs improvement: 0
Easy pickings: 0 | UI/UX: 0
Changes (by Carlton Gibson):
* status: assigned => closed
* resolution: => needsinfo
Comment:
Hi Matthew — thanks for the report.
I have to say we need to go back to the DevelopersMailingList for this.
There are as many opinions as there are developers: ranging from "use the
default model, or you end up using your auth model as a random data bin"
to "we should update the default template to create the subclass, so users
don't find this advise until too late" to ... — if we could agress the
canonical advice then a rewrite might be on the cards.
Thanks.
--
Ticket URL: <https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/32791#comment:2>
Django
Reporter: Matthew Somerville | Owner: Nishant
| Sagar
Type: Uncategorized | Status: closed
Severity: Normal | Resolution: needsinfo
Keywords: | Triage Stage:
| Unreviewed
Has patch: 0 | Needs documentation: 0
Needs tests: 0 | Patch needs improvement: 0
Easy pickings: 0 | UI/UX: 0
Comment (by Ashley):
+1, I was reading these docs today, got confused by the emphasis to create
a customer user model immediately followed by cautionary advice. I'm
relatively new to Django but from the few seemingly reputable opinions
I've encountered, it seems if anyone expecting any sort of growth, or even
an inkling of an eventual need to make User more versatile (even if
uncertain immediately), one should simply make the call from the start,
utilize a custom user model. The main reason I hear is the pain
encountered with a move after initial migrations. I'd imagine for
newcomers, it might be less painful to go for a customer user model than
to have to deal with a custom migration to such a model shortly
thereafter.
https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.1/topics/auth/customizing/
> ... If you’re starting a new project, it’s highly recommended to set
up a custom user model. ...
> ... When you start your project with a custom user model, stop to
consider if this is the right choice for your project. ...
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Ticket URL: <https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/32791#comment:3>