Django snippets: Update only selected model fields

from django.db import models, connection, transaction

def update_fields(self, **kwargs):
    """                                                                         
    Update selected model fields in the database, but leave the other           
    fields alone. Use this rather than model.save() for performance             
    and data consistency.                                                       
    """
    sql = ['UPDATE', connection.ops.quote_name(self._meta.db_table), 'SET']
    values = []
    for field_name in kwargs:
        setattr(self, field_name, kwargs[field_name])
        field = self._meta.get_field(field_name)
        value = field.get_db_prep_save(kwargs[field_name])
        if isinstance(value, models.Model):
            value = value.id
        sql.extend((connection.ops.quote_name(field.column), '=', '%s', ','))
        values.append(value)
    sql.pop(-1) # Remove the last comma                                         
    sql.extend(['WHERE', 'id', '=', '%s'])
    values.append(self.id)
    sql = ' '.join(sql)
    connection.cursor().execute(sql, values)
    transaction.commit_unless_managed()

update_fields.alters_data = True

Watch out! Previous versions of this snippet (without the values list) were vulnerable to SQL injection attacks. The "correct" solution is probably to wait until ticket 4102 hits the trunk. But here's my temporary fix while we wait for that happy day.

Django's model.save() method is a PITA:

It does a SELECT first to see if the instance is already in the database.
It has additional database performance overhead because it writes all fields, not just the ones that have been changed.
It overwrites other model fields with data that may be out of date. This is a real problem in concurrent applications, like almost all web apps.

If you just want to update a field or two on a model instance which is already in the database, try this:

update_fields(user,
    email='user@example.com',
    is_staff=True,
    last_login=datetime.now())

Or you can add it to your models (see below) and then do this:

user.update_fields(
    email='user@example.com',
    is_staff=True,
    last_login=datetime.now())

To add it to your model, put it in a module called granular_update, then write this in your models.py:

import granular_update                                                      
class User(models.Model):                                                
    email = models.EmailField()                          
    is_staff = models.BooleanField()                                          
    last_login = models.DateTimeField()
    update_fields = granular_update.update_fields

Author:: jcrocholl
Posted:: November 22, 2007
Language:: Python
Tags:: consistency field fields integrity model performance save update
Score:: 3 (after 3 ratings)

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Update only selected model fields

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