Python, Django, how to use getattr (or other method) to call object that has multiple attributes?

Rick picture Rick · Sep 13, 2010 · Viewed 12.6k times · Source

After trying to get this to work for a while and searching around I am truly stumped so am posting here... I want to make some functions in classes that I am writing for django as generic as possible so I want to use getattr to call functions such as the one below in a generic manner:

the way I do it that works (non-generic manner):

from django.db.models import get_model
mymodel = get_model('appname', 'modelname')
dbobject = mymodel.objects.all()

one of my attempts create this in a generic manner, still not working, it does return something back but its not the proper object type so that i can get the data from it (its a database call for django)

ret = getattr(mymodel,'objects')
dbobject = getattr(ret,'all')

Answer

Duncan picture Duncan · Sep 13, 2010

You forgot to call the result.

dbobject = mymodel.objects.all()

Accesses the method mymodel.objects.all and then calls it.

ret = getattr(mymodel,'objects')
self.dbobject = getattr(ret,'all')

accesses the method mymodel.objects.all but does not call it.

All you need is to change the last line to:

self.dbobject = getattr(ret,'all')()