Creating a theme at startup and enabling it

[qcoumes]

Python version
3.8

Django version
3.1

Package version
0.14.0

Current behavior (bug description)
I am creating a theme from settings in an AppConfig.ready(), the Theme models is correctly created with the right values. active is set to True (and is the only Theme ticked in the admin panel), but the Django's default one is the theme applied. I have to manually save the model once from the Django admin panel for it to be applied.

Here's my ready() function creating the Theme at startup :

class WebsiteConfig(AppConfig):
    name = 'website'
    
    
    def ready(self):
        if not {"runserver", "shell"}.intersection(sys.argv):
            return
        
        Theme = apps.get_model("admin_interface", "Theme")  # noqa
        kwargs = {
            "name":                                     "ISLRN",
            "active":                                   True,
            "title":                                    "ISLRN Administration",
            "title_color":                              settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_primary"],
            "title_visible":                            True,
            "logo":                                     "",
            "logo_color":                               "#FFFFFF",
            "logo_visible":                             False,
            "css_header_background_color":              settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_primary"],
            "css_header_text_color":                    settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_primary"],
            "css_header_link_color":                    settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_primary_lighter"],
            "css_header_link_hover_color":              settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_primary_darker"],
            "css_module_background_color":              settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_secondary"],
            "css_module_text_color":                    settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_secondary"],
            "css_module_link_color":                    settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_secondary_lighter"],
            "css_module_link_hover_color":              settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_secondary_darker"],
            "css_module_rounded_corners":               True,
            "css_generic_link_color":                   settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_default_lighter"],
            "css_generic_link_hover_color":             settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_default_darker"],
            "css_save_button_background_color":         settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_success"],
            "css_save_button_background_hover_color":   settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_success"],
            "css_save_button_text_color":               settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_success"],
            "css_delete_button_background_color":       settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_error"],
            "css_delete_button_background_hover_color": settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_error"],
            "css_delete_button_text_color":             settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_on_error"],
            "css":                                      "",
            "related_modal_active":                     True,
            "related_modal_background_color":           settings.COLOR_PALETTE["theme_default"],
            "related_modal_background_opacity":         0.2,
            "related_modal_rounded_corners":            True,
            "list_filter_dropdown":                     False,
            "recent_actions_visible":                   True
        }
        
        try:
            theme = Theme.objects.get(name="ISLRN")
            for k, a in kwargs.items():
                setattr(theme, k, a)
            theme.save()
        except Theme.DoesNotExist:
            Theme.objects.create(**kwargs)
        Theme.get_active_theme()

Expected behavior
I expected the created Theme to be applied immediately since it's the only Theme with active set to True.

[fabiocaccamo]

@qcoumes the purpose of this application is to manage/customize themes using the admin.

As you can see here, some stuff is done on app ready, I think that your usage have some conflicts with it.

Your application is listed before or after admin_interface in settings.INSTALLED_APPS?

[qcoumes]

@fabiocaccamo Thanks for your help

@qcoumes the purpose of this application is to manage/customize themes using the admin.

I figured it would be easier to use this application instead of modifying the django's template files.

As you can see here, some stuff is done on app ready, I think that your usage have some conflicts with it.

Your application is listed before or after admin_interface in settings.INSTALLED_APPS?

It was listed before. I tried to list admin_interfaces first, but the same problem occurs.

I can create a minimal example if you want.

[merwok]

Just curious: is there a reason for your use of try: create / except: get vs. Theme.objects.get_or_create?

@fabiocaccamo I suppose the admin or admin form for Theme does something to ensure only one theme at a time is active, right? So creating a new Theme with active=True is not enough! (unless the something is done in Theme.save, which wouldn’t be a clean django practice — model methods should work with one row, manager or queryset methods with multiple rows).

[qcoumes]

Just curious: is there a reason for your use of try: create / except: get vs. Theme.objects.get_or_create?

@merwok Mainly because I don't know which field is required for a new instance (I guess name is not enough). Also to avoid the loop over kwargs and the use of setattr if it is not needed.

[fabiocaccamo]

@merwok the active theme is chosen here and this method is called by different signals.

@qcoumes if you want write a PR covered by the relative test case I would be glad to merge it.

[merwok]

@qcoumes I didn’t understand your reply! You say you want to avoid loop over kwargs + setattr, but the code you pasted has that, and using get_or_create would avoid it, so it’s confusing 🙂

@fabiocaccamo ah I see the get_active method is using Theme.objects.filter(active=True).first(), but in the absence of order_by method or Meta.ordering property on model it’s not explicit which object would be returned (I don’t rely on implicit sorts so I don’t remember if django would order by ID descending or ascending, or if that depends on the database server).

[qcoumes]

@merwok I only loop over kwargs when modifying the Theme if it already exists, not when creating it. Won't get_or_create create a new instance every time one of the settings are modified?

@fabiocaccamo I can't find where the issue come from, I tried to manually set the cached theme by calling set_cached_active_theme(), a print() inside get_cached_active_theme() correctly displays my theme, yet the Django administration is still displaying Django's default theme until I save one of them from the administration panel.

Note that by Django's theme, I mean the blue vanilla one, not the green one created by django-admin-interface.

[merwok]

Ah I misread the first time! Indeed, you need update_or_create for your case.

[qcoumes]

@merwok Didn't know such method existed, this is indeed exactly what I need, thanks.

[fabiocaccamo]

@qcoumes I think that the problem is that your theme is created before the default one, could you please check and tell me the ids of the two themes?

[qcoumes]

Sorry for the (very) late reply.

The default one is created before my theme. Django's pk is 1 and ISLRN pk is 2.