django how do i access a modelforms variables?

Question

i have a modelform like so:

class CommentForm(forms.ModelForm):
    storyId = forms.IntegerField(required=True, widget=forms.HiddenInput())
    postId = forms.IntegerField(required=True, widget=forms.HiddenInput())

so now i want to change the value of the "storyId"

i've found that, in my code i need to do this:

form = CommentForm()
form.initial['storyId'] = xyz

or in the init of the model i need this:

self.initial['storyId'] = xyz

what is the "initial" doing? Why cannot i just go straight to:

form = CommentForm()
form.storyId = xyz

thanks!

UPDATE if i run form.storyId = xyz, then in the template, I will not see the value passed in. If i run

form.initial['storyId'] = xyz

then in the template i do see the values passed in! No other code changes, any ideas?

You also can pass initial as parameter when you create your form form = CommentForm(initial={'storyId':xyz}) — San4ez
– San4ez, Commented Jun 6, 2012 at 10:38
thankyou, i did not know that and am grateful to find it out! — bharal
– bharal, Commented Jun 6, 2012 at 10:45

ramdaz · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-06 10:48:40Z

1

The parameter "initial" is used in forms.Form class generally to initialize a value that you would like to see as auto-filled, when the form is rendered.

In case of ModelForm, initial is used when you need to autofill a field that's called from the forms's init method.

form = CommentForm()
form.storyId = xyz

In the above code you are assigning directly the value to a property of a Python Instance, then the type of the property also changes.

The variable storyId is actually a django.forms.fields.IntegerField, and this has a parameter "initial" that would initialize the value.

Once you assign form.storyId=xyz, then storyId, takes the value of xyz, and will not be rendered as a form field.

I hope this is clear.

answered Jun 6, 2012 at 10:48

ramdaz

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Vivek S · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-06 10:35:06Z

1

Modelform is just a class so,you can access modelform variables straight away. There's no need for initial.

answered Jun 6, 2012 at 10:35

Vivek S

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