Using SchemaEditor to create materialized views in PostgreSQL

[Andreas Madsack]

We use the schemaeditor to create not only tables in the database, but also materialized views.
This is working for us on Django 1.7, but we use the somehow private API of Django migrations.

Our solution:

• Subclassing the Postgresql-DatabaseWrapper to change the schema_editor to our own:

from django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2.base import DatabaseWrapper as PGDatabaseWrapper

class DatabaseWrapper(PGDatabaseWrapper):
    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        self.SchemaEditorClass = OurDatabaseSchemaEditor
        super(DatabaseWrapper, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)

• in OurDatabaseSchemaEditor we overwrite every action method we need changed.

For example:

    def create_model(self, model):
        if check_if_materialized(model):
            from materialized.helpers import create_model
            create_model(model)
            return
        super(OurDatabaseSchemaEditor, self).create_model(model)

The same way for delete_model, add_field, alter_field, remove_field, ...

Purpose of this ticket is the discussion about custom changes to schemaeditor methods like we do.
Is this the way to go or should it be done in another way?

I'm in Cardiff at the sprints today and on freenode as mfandreas.

[Tim Graham]

I don't think the SchemaEditor methods are private API as they are ​documented. That said, this is not really the place to discuss "how to" questions. See TicketClosingReasons/UseSupportChannels. Thanks!