CRUD Operations in Django Admin

Django Admin is a built-in tool that automatically generates a web interface for your models. Instead of building separate pages or forms, Django Admin handles:

Prerequisites: Django Admin Interface

In this article, we will create a simple Django project named projectName with an app called app. We will define a real-world example model called Book, representing books in a library, and perform CRUD operations using the Django Admin panel.

Creating the App and Model

Step 1: Create Your Django Project and App

• How to create Django project
• How to create Django app

After creating the app, make sure to add your app to the INSTALLED_APPS list in settings.py file of projectName.

Step 2: Define the Book Model

In app/models.py, define a Book model to represent books in your library. This model will include common book details like title, author, published date, ISBN, number of pages, and availability status.

from django.db import models

from django.db import models

class Book(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=200)
    author = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    published_date = models.DateField()
    isbn = models.CharField(max_length=13, unique=True)
    pages = models.IntegerField()
    available = models.BooleanField(default=True)

    def __str__(self):
        return f"{self.title} by {self.author}"

Step 3: Migrate Your Database

After defining the model, apply the changes to your database by running the following commands in the terminal:

python manage.py makemigrations

python manage.py migrate

This creates the necessary tables for your new Book model.

Step 4: Register the Model in Django Admin

To manage Book records via the admin panel, register your model in app/admin.py:

from django.contrib import admin

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Book

@admin.register(Book)
class BookAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    list_display = ('title', 'author', 'published_date', 'isbn', 'available')
    search_fields = ('title', 'author', 'isbn')
    list_filter = ('available', 'published_date')

This customizes the admin interface to show important book details and helps you find books faster using search and filters.

Step 5: Create a Superuser to Access Admin

Create a superuser account to log into the admin panel:

python manage.py createsuperuser

Follow the prompts to set your username, email, and password. After creating the superuser, you will be to access the admin panel by logging in using the credentials.

Step 6: Run the Development Server

Start the Django server:

python manage.py runserver

After the development server is running, open your web browser and go to: http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/ and log in with your superuser credentials.

Performing CRUD Operations

1. Create New Book Records

• Click Books in the admin sidebar.
• Click Add Book.
• Fill in details like title, author, and ISBN.
• Click Save to add the book.

2. View (Read) Books

• The Books list page shows all saved books.
• Use the search bar or filters on the right to find specific books quickly.

3. Edit Existing Books

• Click on a book title from the list.
• Update any details in the form.
• Click Save to apply changes.

4. Delete Books

• Select the book/books.
• Select the DELETE option from the dropdown above the list of books.
• Confirm to permanently remove the book.