Tutorial

This tutorial demonstrates some features of ERPpeek in the interactive shell.

It assumes an Odoo or OpenERP server is installed. The shell is a true Python shell. We have access to all the features and modules of the Python interpreter.

First connection

The server is freshly installed and does not have an Odoo database yet. The tutorial creates its own database demo to play with.

Open the ERPpeek shell:

$ erppeek

It assumes that the server is running locally, and listens on default port 8069.

If our configuration is different, then we use arguments, like:

$ erppeek --server http://192.168.0.42:8069

On login, it prints few lines about the commands available.

$ erppeek
Usage (some commands):
    models(name)                    # List models matching pattern
    model(name)                     # Return a Model instance
    model(name).keys()              # List field names of the model
    model(name).fields(names=None)  # Return details for the fields
    model(name).field(name)         # Return details for the field
    model(name).browse(domain)
    model(name).browse(domain, offset=0, limit=None, order=None)
                                    # Return a RecordList

    rec = model(name).get(domain)   # Get the Record matching domain
    rec.some_field                  # Return the value of this field
    rec.read(fields=None)           # Return values for the fields

    client.login(user)              # Login with another user
    client.connect(env)             # Connect to another env.
    client.modules(name)            # List modules matching pattern
    client.upgrade(module1, module2, ...)
                                    # Upgrade the modules

As we’ll see later, the most interesting method here is probably model() which returns a Model object with nice wrappers.

And it confirms that the default database is not available:

...
Error: Database 'openerp' does not exist: []

Though, we have a connected client, ready to use:

>>> client
<Client 'http://localhost:8069#()'>
>>> client.server_version
'6.1'
>>> #

Create a database

We create the database "demo" for this tutorial. We need to know the superadmin password before to continue. This is the admin_passwd in the openerp-server.conf file. Default password is "admin".

Note

This password gives full control on the databases. Set a strong password in the configuration to prevent unauthorized access.

>>> client.create_database('super_password', 'demo')
Logged in as 'admin'
>>> client
<Client 'http://localhost:8069#demo'>
>>> client.db.list()
['demo']
>>> client.user
'admin'
>>> client.modules(installed=True)
{'installed': ['base', 'web', 'web_mobile', 'web_tests']}
>>> len(client.modules()['uninstalled'])
202
>>> #

Note

Create an erppeek.ini file in the current directory to declare all our environments. Example:

[DEFAULT]
host = localhost
port = 8069

[demo]
database = demo
username = joe

Then we connect to any environment with erppeek --env demo or switch during an interactive session with client.connect('demo').

Find the users

We have created the database "demo" for the tests. We are connected to this database as 'admin'.

Where is the table for the users?

>>> client
<Client 'http://localhost:8069#demo'>
>>> models('user')
{'ResUsers': <Model 'res.users'>, 'ResWidgetUser': <Model 'res.widget.user'>}

We’ve listed two models which matches the name, res.users and res.widget.user. We reach the users’ model using the model() method and we want to introspect its fields. Fortunately, the Model class provides methods to retrieve all the details.

>>> model('res.users')
<Model 'res.users'>
>>> print(model('res.users').keys())
['action_id', 'active', 'company_id', 'company_ids', 'context_lang',
 'context_tz', 'date', 'groups_id', 'id', 'login', 'menu_id', 'menu_tips',
 'name', 'new_password', 'password', 'signature', 'user_email', 'view']
>>> model('res.users').field('view')
{'digits': [16, 2],
 'fnct_inv': '_set_interface_type',
 'fnct_inv_arg': False,
 'fnct_search': False,
 'func_obj': False,
 'function': '_get_interface_type',
 'help': 'OpenERP offers a simplified and an extended user interface. If\
 you use OpenERP for the first time we strongly advise you to select the\
 simplified interface, which has less features but is easier to use. You\
 can switch to the other interface from the User/Preferences menu at any\
 time.',
 'selection': [['simple', 'Simplified'], ['extended', 'Extended']],
 'store': False,
 'string': 'Interface',
 'type': 'selection'}
>>> #

Let’s examine the 'admin' user in details.

>>> model('res.users').count()
1
>>> admin_user = model('res.users').browse(1)
>>> admin_user.groups_id
<RecordList 'res.groups,[1, 2, 3]'>
>>> admin_user.groups_id.name
['Access Rights', 'Configuration', 'Employee']
>>> admin_user.groups_id.full_name
['Administration / Access Rights',
 'Administration / Configuration',
 'Human Resources / Employee']
>>> admin_user.perm_read()
{'create_date': False,
 'create_uid': False,
 'id': 1,
 'write_date': '2012-09-01 09:01:36.631090',
 'write_uid': [1, 'Administrator'],
 'xmlid': 'base.user_admin'}

Create a new user

Now we want a non-admin user to continue the exploration. Let’s create Joe.

>>> model('res.users').create({'login': 'joe'})
Fault: Integrity Error

The operation cannot be completed, probably due to the following:
- deletion: you may be trying to delete a record while other records still reference it
- creation/update: a mandatory field is not correctly set

[object with reference: name - name]
>>> #

It seems we’ve forgotten some mandatory data. Let’s give him a name.

>>> model('res.users').create({'login': 'joe', 'name': 'Joe'})
<Record 'res.users,3'>
>>> joe_user = _
>>> joe_user.groups_id.full_name
['Human Resources / Employee', 'Partner Manager']

The user Joe does not have a password: we cannot login as joe. We set a password for Joe and we try again.

>>> client.login('joe')
Password for 'joe':
Error: Invalid username or password
>>> client.user
'admin'
>>> joe_user.password = 'bar'
>>> client.login('joe')
Logged in as 'joe'
>>> client.user
'joe'
>>> #

Success!

Explore the model

We keep connected as user Joe and we explore the world around us.

>>> client.user
'joe'
>>> all_models = sorted(models().values(), key=str)
>>> len(all_models)
92

Among these 92 objects, some of them are read-only, others are read-write. We can also filter the non-empty models.

>>> # Read-only models
>>> len([m for m in all_models if not m.access('write')])
44
>>> #
>>> # Writable but cannot delete
>>> [m for m in all_models if m.access('write') and not m.access('unlink')]
[<Model 'ir.property'>]
>>> #
>>> # Unreadable models
>>> [m for m in all_models if not m.access('read')]
[<Model 'ir.actions.todo'>,
 <Model 'ir.actions.todo.category'>,
 <Model 'res.payterm'>]
>>> #
>>> # Now print the number of entries in all (readable) models
>>> for m in all_models:
...     mcount = m.access() and m.count()
...     if not mcount:
...         continue
...     print('%4d  %s' % (mcount, m))
...
  81  <Model 'ir.actions.act_window'>
  14  <Model 'ir.actions.act_window.view'>
  85  <Model 'ir.actions.act_window_close'>
  85  <Model 'ir.actions.actions'>
   4  <Model 'ir.actions.report.xml'>
   3  <Model 'ir.config_parameter'>
   2  <Model 'ir.cron'>
   1  <Model 'ir.mail_server'>
  92  <Model 'ir.model'>
 126  <Model 'ir.model.access'>
1941  <Model 'ir.model.data'>
 658  <Model 'ir.model.fields'>
  32  <Model 'ir.module.category'>
 207  <Model 'ir.module.module'>
 432  <Model 'ir.module.module.dependency'>
   8  <Model 'ir.rule'>
  63  <Model 'ir.ui.menu'>
 185  <Model 'ir.ui.view'>
   1  <Model 'ir.ui.view_sc'>
  72  <Model 'ir.values'>
   1  <Model 'res.bank'>
   1  <Model 'res.company'>
 253  <Model 'res.country'>
  51  <Model 'res.country.state'>
  48  <Model 'res.currency'>
  49  <Model 'res.currency.rate'>
   9  <Model 'res.groups'>
   1  <Model 'res.lang'>
   1  <Model 'res.partner'>
   1  <Model 'res.partner.address'>
   1  <Model 'res.partner.bank.type'>
   1  <Model 'res.partner.bank.type.field'>
   5  <Model 'res.partner.title'>
   1  <Model 'res.request.link'>
   2  <Model 'res.users'>
   6  <Model 'res.widget'>
   1  <Model 'res.widget.user'>
>>> #
>>> # Show the content of a model
>>> config_params = model('ir.config_parameter').browse([])
>>> config_params.read()
[{'id': 1, 'key': 'web.base.url', 'value': 'http://localhost:8069'},
 {'id': 2, 'key': 'database.create_date', 'value': '2012-09-01 09:01:12'},
 {'id': 3,
  'key': 'database.uuid',
  'value': '52fc9630-f49e-2222-e622-08002763afeb'}]

Browse the records

Query the "res.country" model:

>>> model('res.country').keys()
['address_format', 'code', 'name']
>>> model('res.country').browse(['name like public'])
<RecordList 'res.country,[41, 42, 57, 62, 116, 144]'>
>>> model('res.country').browse(['name like public']).name
['Central African Republic',
 'Congo, Democratic Republic of the',
 'Czech Republic',
 'Dominican Republic',
 'Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan)',
 'Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of']
>>> model('res.country').browse(['code > Y'], order='code ASC').read('code name')
[{'code': 'YE', 'id': 247, 'name': 'Yemen'},
 {'code': 'YT', 'id': 248, 'name': 'Mayotte'},
 {'code': 'YU', 'id': 249, 'name': 'Yugoslavia'},
 {'code': 'ZA', 'id': 250, 'name': 'South Africa'},
 {'code': 'ZM', 'id': 251, 'name': 'Zambia'},
 {'code': 'ZR', 'id': 252, 'name': 'Zaire'},
 {'code': 'ZW', 'id': 253, 'name': 'Zimbabwe'}]
>>> #

... the tutorial is done.

Jump to the ERPpeek API for further details.