#25227: Remove need for `ModelForm.save(commit=False)`
-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------
     Reporter:  candeira             |                    Owner:  candeira
         Type:                       |                   Status:  assigned
  Cleanup/optimization               |
    Component:  Forms                |                  Version:  master
     Severity:  Normal               |               Resolution:
     Keywords:                       |             Triage Stage:
                                     |  Unreviewed
    Has patch:  1                    |      Needs documentation:  0
  Needs tests:  0                    |  Patch needs improvement:  0
Easy pickings:  0                    |                    UI/UX:  0
-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------
Description changed by candeira:

Old description:

> Add utility method get_updated_model() to ModelForm
>
> Additionally, add utility method get_updated_models() to FormSet
>
> Rationale:
>
> While doing the djangogirls tutorial, I noticed that
> ModelForm.save(commit=False) is given to newcomers as a reasonable way to
> acquire a form's populated model. This is an antipattern for several
> reasons:
>
>   - It's counterintuitive. To a newcomer, it's the same as
> ``save(save=no)``.
>   - It's a leaky abstraction. Understanding it requires understanding
> that the save method does two things: a) prepare the model, and b) save
> it to the database.
>   - It doesn't name its effect or return well.
>
> All these problems are addressed in the current patch. Changes:
>
>  - Implement ModelForm.get_updated_model()
>  - Implement FormSet.get_updated_models()
>  - Refactor ModelForm.save() and FormSet.save() to allow the above.
>  - Both the tests and contrib.auth have been modified: any call to
> save(commit=False) for the purpose of obtaining a populated model has
> been replaced by get_updated_model(). Tests still pass, I'm confident
> it's a successful refactor.
> - New tests have been added for the new methods in different contexts
> (from a ModelForm, from a FormSet, etc).
>  - documentation has also been modified to showcase the new methods.
>
> Notes:
>
> Uses of ModelForm.save(commit=False) in the codebase have been left alone
> wherever it was used for its side effects and not for its return value.
>
> The Djangogirls tutorial has a PR that depends on the changes in the
> present one:
>
> https://github.com/DjangoGirls/tutorial/pull/450

New description:

 While doing the djangogirls tutorial, I noticed that
 ModelForm.save(commit=False) is given to newcomers as a reasonable way to
 acquire a form's populated model. This is an antipattern for several
 reasons:

   - It's counterintuitive. To a newcomer, it's the same as
 ``save(save=no)``.
   - It's a leaky abstraction. Understanding it requires understanding that
 the `save()` method does two things: a) return the model, and b) save it
 to the database.
   - It doesn't name its effect or return well.

 The first two issues are addressed in the current patch. About the third,
 the mailing list discussion convinced me to avoid the
 `.get_updated_model()` name. Instead, `apply()` was used.

 Changes:

  - Implement `ModelForm.apply()` as alternative to `.save(commit=False)`
  - Implement `FormSet.apply()` as alternative to `.save(commit=False)`
  - Refactor `ModelForm.save()` and `FormSet.save()` to allow the above.
  - New tests have been added for the new methods in different contexts
 (from a ModelForm, from a FormSet, etc).
  - documentation has also been modified to showcase the new methods.

 Notes:

 Uses of either `.save(commit=False)` in the codebase have been left alone
 wherever it was used for its side effects (the return value was not used).

 The Djangogirls tutorial has a PR that depends on the changes in the
 present one:

 https://github.com/DjangoGirls/tutorial/pull/450

--

--
Ticket URL: <https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/25227#comment:11>
Django <https://code.djangoproject.com/>
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