My model:
class Sample(models.Model):
users = models.ManyToManyField(User)
I want to save both user1
and user2
in that model:
user1 = User.objects.get(pk=1)
user2 = User.objects.get(pk=2)
sample_object = Sample(users=user1, users=user2)
sample_object.save()
I know that's wrong, but I'm sure you get what I want to do. How would you do it ?
You cannot create m2m relations from unsaved objects. If you have the pk
s, try this:
sample_object = Sample()
sample_object.save()
sample_object.users.add(1,2)
Update: After reading the saverio's answer, I decided to investigate the issue a bit more in depth. Here are my findings.
This was my original suggestion. It works, but isn't optimal. (Note: I'm using Bar
s and a Foo
instead of User
s and a Sample
, but you get the idea).
bar1 = Bar.objects.get(pk=1)
bar2 = Bar.objects.get(pk=2)
foo = Foo()
foo.save()
foo.bars.add(bar1)
foo.bars.add(bar2)
It generates a whopping total of 7 queries:
SELECT "app_bar"."id", "app_bar"."name" FROM "app_bar" WHERE "app_bar"."id" = 1
SELECT "app_bar"."id", "app_bar"."name" FROM "app_bar" WHERE "app_bar"."id" = 2
INSERT INTO "app_foo" ("name") VALUES ()
SELECT "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" FROM "app_foo_bars" WHERE ("app_foo_bars"."foo_id" = 1 AND "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" IN (1))
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 1)
SELECT "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" FROM "app_foo_bars" WHERE ("app_foo_bars"."foo_id" = 1 AND "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" IN (2))
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 2)
I'm sure we can do better. You can pass multiple objects to the add()
method:
bar1 = Bar.objects.get(pk=1)
bar2 = Bar.objects.get(pk=2)
foo = Foo()
foo.save()
foo.bars.add(bar1, bar2)
As we can see, passing multiple objects saves one SELECT
:
SELECT "app_bar"."id", "app_bar"."name" FROM "app_bar" WHERE "app_bar"."id" = 1
SELECT "app_bar"."id", "app_bar"."name" FROM "app_bar" WHERE "app_bar"."id" = 2
INSERT INTO "app_foo" ("name") VALUES ()
SELECT "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" FROM "app_foo_bars" WHERE ("app_foo_bars"."foo_id" = 1 AND "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" IN (1, 2))
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 1)
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 2)
I wasn't aware that you can also assign a list of objects:
bar1 = Bar.objects.get(pk=1)
bar2 = Bar.objects.get(pk=2)
foo = Foo()
foo.save()
foo.bars = [bar1, bar2]
Unfortunately, that creates one additional SELECT
:
SELECT "app_bar"."id", "app_bar"."name" FROM "app_bar" WHERE "app_bar"."id" = 1
SELECT "app_bar"."id", "app_bar"."name" FROM "app_bar" WHERE "app_bar"."id" = 2
INSERT INTO "app_foo" ("name") VALUES ()
SELECT "app_foo_bars"."id", "app_foo_bars"."foo_id", "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" FROM "app_foo_bars" WHERE "app_foo_bars"."foo_id" = 1
SELECT "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" FROM "app_foo_bars" WHERE ("app_foo_bars"."foo_id" = 1 AND "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" IN (1, 2))
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 1)
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 2)
Let's try to assign a list of pk
s, as saverio suggested:
foo = Foo()
foo.save()
foo.bars = [1,2]
As we don't fetch the two Bar
s, we save two SELECT
statements, resulting in a total of 5:
INSERT INTO "app_foo" ("name") VALUES ()
SELECT "app_foo_bars"."id", "app_foo_bars"."foo_id", "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" FROM "app_foo_bars" WHERE "app_foo_bars"."foo_id" = 1
SELECT "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" FROM "app_foo_bars" WHERE ("app_foo_bars"."foo_id" = 1 AND "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" IN (1, 2))
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 1)
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 2)
And the winner is:
foo = Foo()
foo.save()
foo.bars.add(1,2)
Passing pk
s to add()
gives us a total of 4 queries:
INSERT INTO "app_foo" ("name") VALUES ()
SELECT "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" FROM "app_foo_bars" WHERE ("app_foo_bars"."foo_id" = 1 AND "app_foo_bars"."bar_id" IN (1, 2))
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 1)
INSERT INTO "app_foo_bars" ("foo_id", "bar_id") VALUES (1, 2)