Architectural suggestions for (Django + API)

[julio....@m2agro.com.br]

Hey guys,

I have a question about an architectural issue and I would like to hear some suggestions about it.

I created a project using Django (let's call this Project A) and now I decided to start a new one but this time it is an API using Django REST. So, for now I have to refactor Project A to consume data from API, but in order to do that I need to duplicate all my models files in both projects. The question is how can I avoid this? Is there another way to do that?

I see that moving models from Project A to API as something natural but to have an empty models file in Project A I need to change some concepts, for removing ModelForms and put all validation logic using Form.

How do you guys see this? Would you recommend something different? Is that a good idea?

1. Project A (Models) <---> API (same models??? How can I handle that?)
2. Project A (No models) <---> API (Models)
   

Thanks in advance!

[James Schneider]

Are you adding REST functionality to an existing project? Or will you be using a separate instance to provide only REST services and maintain two different code bases?

I believe you can use the django-rest-framework to utilize the same views (literally) to provide a REST interface, so you may not need to rewrite or copy anything, just add a few bits of code to make your views aware of incoming REST requests, some URL additions, and serializers for your models.

http://www.django-rest-framework.org/

-James

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[Carl Meyer]

Hi Julio,

On 08/16/2015 04:59 PM, julio....@m2agro.com.br wrote:
> I created a project using Django (let's call this Project A) and now I
> decided to start a new one but this time it is an API using Django REST.
> So, for now I have to refactor Project A to consume data from API, but
> in order to do that I need to duplicate all my models files in both
> projects. The question is how can I avoid this? Is there another way to
> do that?

I don't quite understand why the situation you describe requires
duplicating models files. Is the canonical data storage now in Project B
instead of Project A, and Project A gets the data via Project B's REST
API? In that case, why does Project A need those models anymore?

> I see that /moving models /from Project A to API as something natural

> but to have an empty models file in Project A I need to change some
> concepts, for removing ModelForms and put all validation logic using Form.

Well, yes, but it seems to me that those types of changes in the Project
A codebase will be required regardless, since it now wants to save the
data via a REST API, not to its own database. How does a ModelForm help
with that?

> How do you guys see this? Would you recommend something different? Is
> that a good idea?
>

> 1. Project A (Models) <---> API (same models??? How can I handle that?)
> 2. Project A (No models) <---> API (Models)

The latter. I don't understand how the first option would even work.

But if you _do_ want to share some models between two projects, for
whatever reason, you can do it the same way you'd share any other code:
put the models in a reusable app and install it in both projects.

Carl

[julio....@m2agro.com.br]

Hi James,

I'm going to build a separated instance to provide only REST services to be consumed by Project A. It's ok to use the same views to provide a REST interface in API but in this case I need to remove models from project A, right?

Thank you very much!

[julio....@m2agro.com.br]

Hi Carl,

 

I don't quite understand why the situation you describe requires 
duplicating models files. Is the canonical data storage now in Project B 
instead of Project A, and Project A gets the data via Project B's REST 
API? In that case, why does Project A need those models anymore? 

Yes, that's it. I was thinking to maintain those models in Project A just because of the ModelForms, but now ... it seems a bad idea. In this case, I will need some refactor to use Form instead of ModelForm and after that I can't see any problem. You're right!

I will use this approach. Thank you very much!