Odoo, a robust open-source business management software, provides numerous tools and features to enhance and customize your business operations. Among these features are field parameters, which allow you to precisely control how your data is stored, presented, and managed within the system.
In this blog post, we'll explore the key field parameters in Odoo 18 and how they can be utilized to shape the behavior of fields within your models. In Odoo 18, field parameters are attributes assigned to fields within your models. These attributes allow you to manage the behavior and properties of fields, such as how they are displayed in the user interface, stored in the database, and other functionalities. Let’s examine the essential field parameters and their functions:
1. String
The "String" parameter specifies a user-friendly name for a field. If no label is explicitly specified, Odoo automatically uses the field's name as its label.
Example:
name = fields.Char(string="Name of the field")
information to users in the user interface.
Example:
name = fields.Char(string="Name", help="Enter the Name")
2. Translate
Setting "Translate" to True makes a field translatable into different languages, useful for presenting your application in multiple languages.
Example:
name = fields.Char(string="Name", translate=True)
3. Readonly
Setting "Readonly" to True makes the field read-only, preventing users from making edits. By default, this parameter is False.
Example:
name = fields.Char(string="Name", readonly=True)
4. Required
When set to True, the "Required" parameter makes a field mandatory, requiring users to provide a value.
Example:
name = fields.Char(string="Field name", required=True)
5. Store
The "Store" parameter indicates whether a field should be stored in the database.By default, most fields are stored in the database, except for computed fields.
6. Copy
This parameter specifies whether the field’s value should be duplicated when a record is copied. By default, it is set to True for standard fields, but False for certain special fields.
7. Groups
The "Groups" parameter restricts field access to specific user groups, enhancing security and access control.
Example:
name = fields.Char(string='Name', groups="base.group_user")
8. Index
Indexing is crucial for optimizing database performance in Odoo 18. It involves creating specialized database indexes on specific fields, enhancing query efficiency. Let’s explore the various aspects of indexing:
True or "btree": This is the default index type used for Many2one relationships in Odoo, offering efficient lookups and range queries.
Example:
field_name = fields.Many2one('model.name', index=True)"btree_not_null": Similar to "btree" but excludes NULL values.
Example:
field_name = fields.Char(index="btree_not_null")
"gin" or "trigram": Uses Generalized Inverted Indexing (GIN) with trigrams for full-text searches.
Example:
field_name = fields.Text(index="gin")
False or None: Indicates no index should be applied.
Example:
field_name = fields.Integer(index=False)
9. Default
The "Default" parameter sets a default value for a field, which can either be a fixed value or a callable function that calculates the default value based on specific logic
10. States
The "States" parameter allows you to manage the behavior and visibility of a field depending on the current state of a record.
Example:
state = fields.Selection([('draft', 'Draft'), ('confirmed', 'Confirmed'), ('done', 'Done')],string='State', default='draft', states={'confirmed': [('readonly', True)], 'done': [('readonly', True)]})11. Compute
The "Compute" attribute defines computed fields, which derive their values from other fields or custom Python logic. Parameters like "precompute," "recursive," "inverse," "search," and "related" can be used for more complex computed field setups.
12. Selection
This parameter defines a list of potential values for a field, represented as pairs of (value, label), a model method, or the name of a method.
13. Selection_add
For an overridden field, `selection_add` allows you to extend the existing selection list by adding new options in a defined order, without replacing the original values.
14. Ondelete
The "Ondelete" parameter defines a fallback method for managing values upon deletion for fields with "Selection_add" that have been overridden. Actions can include 'set null,' 'cascade,' 'set default,' 'set VALUE,' or a custom callable.
Field parameters in Odoo 18 offer extensive flexibility in managing your data. By utilizing these parameters effectively, you can customize your Odoo application to suit the specific needs of your business. Whether it's managing field visibility, ensuring data accuracy, or improving database performance, Odoo's field parameters offer the flexibility needed to achieve these objectives. For developers and administrators, understanding and applying these parameters is crucial in configuring and tailoring your Odoo applications.
With this knowledge of key field parameters in Odoo 18, you are now equipped to create more robust and personalized applications that align with your business requirements.
To read more about An Overview of Field Parameters in Odoo 17, refer to our blog An Overview of Field Parameters in Odoo 17.