= Converting Django models into Graphviz DOT files =

Inspired by [http://www.hackdiary.com/archives/000093.html this nice hack by Matt Biddulph], this is a Python script that generates a [http://www.graphviz.org/ Graphviz] DOT file for quick visualizations of Django model definitions. 

== Source code ==

The [http://code.google.com/p/django-command-extensions/ Django-extensions] version seems to be most up-to-date. You only need this file, not the whole project: 
  http://github.com/django-extensions/django-extensions/blob/master/django_extensions/management/modelviz.py

== Examples ==

=== [http://www.mincer.it/ MC Minerali Ceramici] ===

{{{
#!html
<p style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://code.djangoproject.com/attachment/wiki/DjangoGraphviz/mincer-modelviz-0.6.png?format=raw" alt="mincer example" />
</p>
}}}

== Command ==

{{{
python modelviz.py myapp myotherapp > app.dot
}}}
For more options, run with `--help`

Once you use this python script to generate the dot file ({{{app.dot}}}), you should be able to open it with [http://www.graphviz.org/ Graphviz]. To convert to a png, ensure you have {{{dot}}} installed (part of Graphviz), and issue:
{{{
dot app.dot -Tpng -o app.png
}}}

== Other References ==

You might also be interested in [http://www.exit66.com/diagram.zip this Django app by Andrew Barilla ] from which I borrowed some ideas, that displays the graphviz results directly from the web.

[http://code.google.com/p/django-command-extensions/ Django-extensions] (formerly named Django-command-extensions) provides a command to visualize your models. Using an improved version of the modelviz script. It also includes/supports grouping of your Django applications. Which will group all models of a single app together. This makes larger projects much easier and clearer to view.

Usage:
{{{
 # download django-extensions and include it in your app.
 $ ./manage.py graph_models -a -g -o my_project.png
}}}

== Feedback ==

Please direct all feedback to [http://cavedoni.com/ Antonio Cavedoni].