django-drf_skill

Overview

This skill provides concise, battle-tested Django REST Framework patterns for building REST APIs with ViewSets, Serializers, Filters, Permissions, Pagination, routing, and tests. It focuses on pragmatic defaults and clear separation of read/create/update serializers and reusable components to speed development and reduce bugs.

How this skill works

The skill supplies example ViewSet patterns with action-based serializer selection and custom actions, serializer templates for read/create/update use cases, and filter definitions using django-filter. It also includes permission classes, pagination configuration, router-based URL registration, and pytest examples for API tests so you can plug patterns into a project quickly.

When to use it

• When building CRUD APIs with Django and DRF using ViewSets and routers
• When you need separate serializers for read, create, and update operations
• When you want consistent filtering, pagination, and permission behavior across endpoints
• When writing automated API tests with pytest and DRF test client
• When adding custom actions (e.g., activate) to resources

Best practices

• Use ModelViewSet with get_serializer_class to return action-specific serializers
• Keep read-only fields in read serializers and write-only fields (like password) in create serializers
• Centralize filters in FilterSet classes and expose only safe fields
• Write small, focused permission classes (owner/admin patterns) and attach them to viewsets
• Configure a standard pagination class in settings to keep responses consistent
• Cover key endpoints with pytest tests using APIClient and force_authenticate

Example use cases

• User management endpoints with activation action, separate create/update serializers, and name formatting
• Resource lists that support email contains, active flag, and created_at range filters
• Admin vs read-only access control for collections and owner-restricted object access
• Paginated list views with page_size query control and sane defaults
• Automated tests for list and create operations to prevent regressions