README.md

django_shell

From time to time I use the manage.py shell command to launch simple one-time tasks within my Django projects in the non-interactive mode. For example:

$ echo 'from django_app.tasks import procmail; procmail()' | ./manage.py shell

It's possible to run python scripts too:

$ echo 'execfile("/path/to/migrations/01-fix-stupid-bug.py")' | ./manage.py shell

It is fast and easy, than write real application management commands. But now I have some restrictions:

1. Annoying syntax for a command execution.

2. I can't pass additional command line arguments because shell refuses them:

   $ echo 'import sys; print sys.argv' | ./manage.py shell --foo
   ...
   manage.py: error: no such option: --foo
   

3. The shell pollutes both stdin and stdout with banners from interactive python:

   $ echo '' | ./manage.py shell
   Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Jan 20 2010, 23:14:04) 
   [GCC 4.2.4 (Ubuntu 4.2.4-1ubuntu3)] on linux2
   Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
   (InteractiveConsole)
   
   >>> >>> 
   

I suppose the manage.py shell command line interface should be similar to regular python.

Should execute python code:

$ ./manage.py shell -c 'from django.db.models.loading import get_models; print get_models()'

Should execute python files:

$ ./manage.py shell /path/to/migrations/01-fix-stupid-bug.py

Should execute python modules:

$ ./manage.py shell -m smtpd -n -c DebuggingServer localhost:1025

Should execute python code from stdin:

$ echo 'from django.db.models.loading import get_models; print get_models()' | ./manage.py shell -

Under *nix-like environments it's possible to use manage.py shell as interpreter. Just put manage.py into the PATH:

#!manage.py shell

from django.db.models.loading import get_models, get_apps
print "Models", get_models()
print "Applications", get_apps()

-- Will, whether the work in this area helpful for Django?