Make syncdb understand "initialdata" directory

[Deniz Dogan]

In many projects I often find the need to load my data from several separate JSON formatted data dumps. This is because it's easier to manage dumps from different models separately. Unfortunately, syncdb only understands one thing and that is a file named initial_data.json. I think it would be better if syncdb looked for that file, uses it if it finds it, otherwise looks for a directory named initialdata and loads all of the files from that directory.

[Russell Keith-Magee]

I can see the value in the idea, but I'd favor something more generic. Rather than making a special case of an 'initialdata' directory, make a directory a valid form for a fixture. That is, the loading sequence for ./manage.py loaddata foo would be something like:

• foo.json, foo.yaml etc for each registered serializer
• foo.json.gz, foo.yaml.gz etc (i.e., look for the compressed fixture
• a directory named foo that may contain fixtures.

This would allow you to split your initial_data fixture over mutliple files as long as you called the fixture directory initial_data, but would also allow any other fixture to follow the same behavior.

[Brandon Konkle]

I've implemented the feature as Russel described above. My diff includes the changes to the code, tests, and documentation. Also, since this is my first Django contribution, I've added my name to the AUTHORS file. :-) Thanks!

[Brandon Konkle]

The patch is not applying correctly because of a bug in Macport's version of Subversion. I am removing the Macports-installed Subversion and compiling it from source. I'll re-submit the diff when I'm done.

[Brandon Konkle]

I've added a revised patch here​ with the line numbers referenced correctly. Thanks for nothing, Macports! :-)

[Julien Phalip]

The tests would need to be rewritten using unittests since this is now Django's preferred way.

[Aymeric Augustin]

Change UI/UX from NULL to False.

[Aymeric Augustin]

Change Easy pickings from NULL to False.

[Aymeric Augustin]

The new migrations framework doesn't load initial data any more.