Custom Fields¶

DRF Toolkit provides custom fields that extend Django's built-in fields with additional functionality.

DefaultTimezoneDateTimeField¶

A custom DateTime field that ensures consistent timezone handling by always using the project's default timezone (settings.TIME_ZONE), regardless of the current request's timezone context.

This is particularly useful when you want to ensure that datetime fields are always handled in the project's default timezone, preventing issues with middleware or context-specific timezone changes.

Usage¶

from drf_kit.fields import DefaultTimezoneDateTimeField
from rest_framework import serializers

class EventSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
    created_at = DefaultTimezoneDateTimeField()
    scheduled_at = DefaultTimezoneDateTimeField(required=False)

    class Meta:
        model = Event
        fields = ['id', 'created_at', 'scheduled_at']

Key Features¶

Always uses the project's default timezone from settings
Prevents timezone inconsistencies from middleware or context changes
Compatible with Django REST Framework's datetime handling

SlugifyField¶

An enhanced version of Django's SlugField that automatically applies slugification to the field value before saving. It allows customization of the slugify function used.

Usage¶

from drf_kit.fields import SlugifyField
from django.db import models

class Article(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    slug = SlugifyField(max_length=100)  # Will automatically slugify from title

Custom Slugify Function¶

You can provide a custom slugify function:

def custom_slugify(value):
    # Your custom slugification logic
    return value.lower().replace(' ', '-')

class Article(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    slug = SlugifyField(max_length=100, func=custom_slugify)

Parameters¶

max_length (int): Maximum length for the slug (default: 50)
db_index (bool): Whether to create a database index (default: True)
allow_unicode (bool): Whether to allow unicode characters in slugs (default: False)
func (callable): Custom slugify function (default: django.utils.text.slugify)

Example with All Options¶

class Article(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    slug = SlugifyField(
        max_length=100,
        db_index=True,
        allow_unicode=True,
        func=custom_slugify
    )

Best Practices¶

Use DefaultTimezoneDateTimeField when you need consistent timezone handling across your application
Use SlugifyField for automatic URL-friendly slug generation
Consider providing custom slugify functions when you need special slug formatting
Remember to handle edge cases in custom slugify functions