South Migration Notes

django_south.md

Using south

1. setup the model

python manage.py schemamigration models --initial

2. dump data if you have to

python manage.py dumpdata -e contenttypes -e auth.Permission --natural > data.json

3. syncdb

python manage.py syncdb

python manage.py migrate models

4. load the data back into the db

python manage.py loaddata data.json

5. Afterwards, you may use

python manage.py schemamigration models --auto

python manage.py migrate models

after every change you made in the models schema

A few notes

1. Unloading the database and reload it is essential, because if not doing so the first migration will tell you already have those models.
2. The -e contenttypes -e auth.Permission --natural parameter in dumpdata is essential otherwise exception will be thrown when doing loaddata.