Django REST Framework - Serializing optional fields

Question

I have an object that has optional fields. I have defined my serializer this way:

class ProductSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
    code = serializers.Fie         


        

Answer 1

DynamicSerializer for DRF 3, which allows dynamicly specifying which fields will be used in serializer, which will be excluded, and optionally which will become required!

1. Create Mixin

    class DynamicSerializerMixin:
        """
        A Serializer that takes an additional `fields` argument that
        controls which fields should be used.
        """

        def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
            # Don't pass the 'fields' arg up to the superclass
            fields = kwargs.pop("fields", None)
            excluded_fields = kwargs.pop("excluded_fields", None)
            required_fields = kwargs.pop("required_fields", None)

            # Instantiate the superclass normally
            super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)

            if fields is not None:
                # Drop any fields that are not specified in the `fields` argument.
                allowed = set(fields)
                existing = set(self.fields)
                for field_name in existing - allowed:
                    self.fields.pop(field_name)

                if isinstance(fields, dict):
                    for field, config in fields.items():
                        set_attrs(self.fields[field], config)

            if excluded_fields is not None:
                # Drop any fields that are not specified in the `fields` argument.
                for field_name in excluded_fields:
                    self.fields.pop(field_name)

            if required_fields is not None:
                for field_name in required_fields:
                    self.fields[field_name].required = True

2. Initialize/adjust your serializer by adding DynamicSerializerMixin to inheritence

class UserProfileSerializer(DynamicSerializerMixin, serializers.ModelSerializer):

    class Meta:
        model = User
        fields = (
            "id",
            'first_name', 'last_name'
            "email",
            "is_staff",
        )

3. Use it :)

class RoleInvitationSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
    invited_by = UserProfileSerializer(fields=['id', 'first_name', 'last_name'])

or in action apis

    @action(detail=True, serializer_class=YourSerialzierClass)
    def teams_roles(self, request, pk=None):
        user = self.get_object()
        queryset = user.roles.all()
        serializer = self.get_serializer(queryset, many=True, excluded_fields=['user'])
        return Response(data=serializer.data)