Ticket #12663: document-meta.diff

docs/ref/models/options.txt

@@ -3 +3 @@
 ======================
 
 This document explains all the possible :ref:`metadata options
-<meta-options>` that you can give your model in its internal ``class
-Meta``.
+<meta-options>` that you can give your model in its internal ``Meta`` class.
 
 .. _table-names:
 
@@ -21 +20 @@
 ``manage.py startapp bookstore``), a model defined as ``class Book`` will have
 a database table named ``bookstore_book``.
 
-To override the database table name, use the ``db_table`` parameter in
-``class Meta``.
+To override the database table name, use the
+:attr:`~django.db.models.Options.db_table` attribute.
 
 If your database table name is an SQL reserved word, or contains characters that
 aren't allowed in Python variable names -- notably, the hyphen -- that's OK.
@@ -33 +32 @@
 
 .. currentmodule:: django.db.models
 
+.. class:: Options
+
+.. note::
+
+    At runtime, the properties assigned to the ``Meta`` class are transfered
+    to an instance of :class:`django.db.models.Options`. See `Meta information at
+    runtime`_ below for more information.
+
 .. attribute:: Options.abstract
 
     If ``True``, this model will be an
@@ -209 +216 @@
 
     If this isn't given, Django will use
     :attr:`~Options.verbose_name` + ``"s"``.
+
+
+Meta information at runtime
+===========================
+
+Model instances have a ``_meta`` attribute, which is an instance of
+:class:`django.db.models.Options`. Any of the properties listed above are
+available on ``_meta`` as well as those listed below.
+
+.. attribute:: Options.auto_field
+
+    If the model has an :class:`~django.db.models.AutoField`, this property
+    will return that field. Otherwise, this property will be undefined.
+    Check :attr:`Options.has_auto_field` before trying to access.
+
+.. attribute:: Options.has_auto_field
+
+    ``True`` if this model has an :class:`~django.db.models.AutoField`. If
+    ``True``, :attr:`Options.auto_field` returns this field.
+
+.. attribute:: Options.pk
+
+    Returns the :attr:`~Field.primary_key` field for this Model, either one
+    explicitly defined or the generated :class:`~django.db.models.AutoField`.
+
+.. method:: Options.get_field(name, many_to_many=True)
+
+    Returns the field with the given name. If the field does not exist for
+    this model, raises :exc:`~django.db.models.fields.FieldDoesNotExist`.