id	summary	reporter	owner	description	type	status	component	version	severity	resolution	keywords	cc	stage	has_patch	needs_docs	needs_tests	needs_better_patch	easy	ui_ux
18593	Admin change list swallows unrelated AttributeErrors from callable display fields	Pi Delport	nobody	"If a callable display field on a model or model admin raises either an `AttributeError`, the interface currently captures the error, and renders the field as `EMPTY_CHANGELIST_VALUE`.

This behavior is surprising and confusing when the `AttributeError` originates in unrelated user code called by the display field: errors like third-party app bugs or missing settings get silenced, and the field's content simply becomes ""(None)"". There's no hint to a novice about what went wrong, or where to look next.

The code responsible for this is in [https://github.com/django/django/blob/1.4/django/contrib/admin/templatetags/admin_list.py#L167 templatetags/admin_list.py]'s `items_for_result()`, around `lookup_field()`. As far as i can tell, all the valid empty fields cases are covered by results of `ObjectDoesNotExist` or `None`, and not `AttributeError`: a missing attribute specified in `list_display` normally result in `ImproperlyConfigured` instead.

If there's no compelling reason to capture `AttributeError` like this, can it simply be removed from the exception list, and allowed to propagate?"	Bug	closed	contrib.admin	1.4	Normal	duplicate	admin, list_display		Design decision needed	1	0	0	0	0	0