How do you reload a Django model module using the interactive interpreter via “manage.py shell”?

Question

I know how to reload a regular Python module within a regular Python interpreter session. This question documents how to do that pretty well:

How do I unload (reload

Answer 1

ipython console does a deep reload with each reload() expression; and of course adds a lot of other useful stuff.

Answer 2

I wasn't able to get any of the above solutions to work, but I did come up with a workaround for reloading any other non-models module in my django project (e.g. a functions.py or views.py module).

1. Create a file called reimport_module.py. I stored it in the local/ folder of my django project on my dev machine.

   # Desc: Imports the module with the name passed in, or imports it for first
   #       time if it hasn't already been imported.
   #
   #       Purpose of this script is to speed up development of functions that
   #       are written in an external editor then tested in IPython.
   #
   #       Without this script you have to exit & reenter IPython then redo
   #       import statements, definitions of local variables, etc.
   #
   #       Note: doesn't work for Django models files, because Django caches
   #       them in a structure called AppCache.
   #
   # Args: module to reload (string)
   
   import sys
   
   module_to_reload = sys.argv[1]
   
   # Attempt to pop module
   try:
       sys.modules.pop(module_to_reload)
       print 'reimporting...'
   except KeyError:
       print 'importing for first time...'
   
   # (re)import module
   import_str = 'from {0} import *'.format(module_to_reload)
   exec(import_str) 
   

2. Launch shell plus (which uses an embedded IPython shell):

   python manage.py shell_plus

3. Use the following to import the module you are developing:

   %run local/reimport_module.py 'your.module'

4. Use IPython to test functions in your module.

5. Make changes to the module in an external editor.

6. Use the following to reimport the module without having to exit & reenter IPython:

   %run local/reimport_module.py 'your.module'

   Note: this command was already used in step 3, so you can type %run then the up arrow to autocomplete it.

Answer 3

Assuming your project is set up this way

• project name : bookstore
• app name : shelf
• model name : Books

first load

from bookstore.shelf.models import Books

subsequent reloads

import bookstore;reload(bookstore.shelf.models);from bookstore.shelf.models import Books