Google spreadsheet to django.

The library uses a Google spreadsheet to generates django applications.

Why using a Google spreadsheet to configure a database?

The Google spreadsheet works as a functional and technical analysis document that can be presented to the database stakeholders. By using the spreadsheet document to generate code the developer makes sure that his code is according to what was agreed with the stakeholders.
One other advantage is that the Google spreadsheet document can be edited in colaboration with several users at the same time. Also all the changes are tracked in the document history log.

How to use

Create a django project and configure the django-suit application.
Download and install the library googlespreadsheet2django using the command: python setup.py install
Make a copy of this Google spreadsheet document and edit the tables and fields of your database.
Configure the document to be shared with everyone with the link (this is necessary for the code generator script to download the file).
Open the terminal and go to the created django project directory.
Use the command: gsheet2django "<id of the Google spreasheet document>" to generate the code of your django applications.
Add the new applications to the settings.py file.

The generated code result

For the Google spreadsheet template, the gsheet2django will generate the next files:

├── details  
│   ├── abstractmodels  
│   │   ├── Country.py  
│   │   ├── __init__.py  
│   │   └── Person.py  
│   ├── admins  
│   │   ├── CountryAdmin.py  
│   │   ├── __init__.py  
│   │   └── PersonAdmin.py  
│   ├── __init__.py  
│   ├── models.py  
│   └── admin.py  
└── static  
    └── js  
        └── models  
            ├── country.js  
            └── person.js

The abstractmodels and admins folders describes the Models, and their visualisation in the admin interface. The files on these folders should not be touched, never!! because they will be replaced everytime you generate a the code.
In the files models.py and admin.py you will see comments like these ones:

##### auto:start:Person #####
... some code ...
    ##### auto:end:Person #####

These comments indicate which parts of the code would be replaced when ever you generate a new code based on the spreadsheet. All the code outside these comments will be kept, which means that you can use these files to add extra rules or fields to your application.

The static -> js files implement the hide and show rules of the fields.

The Google spreadsheet format

Applications tab

In the "Applications" tab we will see a column the title "Applications" as in the image below. Here we should add in each row the django applications which we would like to generate.

Add a new table

To add a new table we should select the option "Database application -> Add new table" in the Google spreadsheet main menu, as in the image bellow.

After we select the option a popup window will ask you for the name of the new table.

After the OK, a new tab will be generated with the format "Table_<name you gave for the table>".
On the top of the tab spreadsheet we will configure which application the table bellongs to in the field <Select an application>. If we click on this field, a dropdown box will be shown with the applications configured in the tab "Applications".

The fields <Table singular label> and <Table plural label> are the names of the table that will be used in the django admin interface.

The field <Data access> allow us to configure which type of access we would like to have on this table. Check the available options in the image bellow.

Add fields to the table

By default the table is added with a primary key set.

To add new fields you should use the option "Database application -> Add new field" in the Google spreadsheet main menu, as in the image bellow.

A new row will appear in the spreadsheet, where you should configure your fields properties.

The details of fields configurations columns are explained in the table below.

Column	Value	Description
Field label	Free text
Database field name	SQL column format
Tab	Free text	Tells in which tab the field should be shown.
Group	Free text	Tells in which group the field should be shown.
Type of field	It is possible to select the next options:
	Created by user	It generates a read-only field which will store the user that created each a table record.
	Creation date and time	It generates a read-only field which will store the date and time when the table record was created.
	Date
	Date time
	Decimal number
	Decimal numbers range
	Dropdown list
	Email	Like the text field, but validates if the input value respect the email format.
	File
	Foreign key	Like a dropdown list but the values are from a table.
	Function
	Integer	Like a small text field, but it validates if the value is an integer.
	Integers range	Like the Integer field, but it validates a lower and upper bounds.
	Multiple choice
	Number of identification	Read-only field, it works as primary key.
	Radio buttons list
	Slug
	Small text
	Text	Textarea field.
	Update date and time	Read-only field. Stores the date time of a record last update.
	Updated by user	Read-only field. Stores the user which made the last update.
	Boolean
Field format		The field will show "Auto generated" value or a dropdown list depending on the type of the table field.
Possible answers	Empty or a dropdown list.	If the table field is a "Dropdown list" or a "Radio buttons list" a dropdown with the values from the spreadsheet "Answers" tab will be shown.
Mandatory	Yes/No
Depends on another field's answer	Dropdown listing the fields of the table.
Show the field when these values are selected	Values separed by ";"
Help label	Free text
Visible	Yes/No
Show in the list by order	Integer	The name will be constructed by the order of the values of this column.
Show filter	Yes/No
Use as search field	Yes/No
Use on name	Integer
Unique	Yes/No
Default value	Free value