# Django FilePathField throwing a TypeError

**URL:** <https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-filepathfield-throwing-a-typeerror/5640>\
**Category:** Using Django\
**Created:** [December 10, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-filepathfield-throwing-a-typeerror/5640 "2020-12-10T14:39:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SarahCAma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/sarahcama/32/2425_2.png) [@SarahCAma](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/SarahCAma)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-filepathfield-throwing-a-typeerror/5640/1 "2020-12-10T14:39:15Z")

</div>

When a candidate submits a job application, I want the CV field on the application model to point to the CV that the candidate has saved on their profile.

**models.py**

```auto
def cv_path(instance):
    return os.path.join(settings.MEDIA_ROOT, 'candidates/user_{0}'.format(instance.candidate.user.id))

def user_directory_path(instance, filename):
    return 'candidates/user_{0}/{1}'.format(instance.user.id, filename)

class Candidate(models.Model):
    user = models.OneToOneField(settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL, on_delete=models.CASCADE, primary_key=True)
    cv = models.FileField(upload_to=user_directory_path, default="CV to be added")
    
    def __str__ (self):
        return f"{self.user.first_name} {self.user.last_name}"

class Application(models.Model):
    candidate = models.ForeignKey(settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
    job = models.ForeignKey('Vacancy', on_delete=models.CASCADE)
    cv = models.FilePathField(path=cv_path, default=None)
    cover_letter = models.TextField(default=None, validators=[
        MinLengthValidator(0),
        MaxLengthValidator(2000)
    ])
    submitted = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
    is_succesful = models.BooleanField(default=False)

```

Right now, if I try to add an application from the admin site I get this TypeError:

```auto
TypeError at /admin/recruit/application/add/
cv_path() missing 1 required positional argument: 'instance'

```

However if I change the cv\_path to this:

```auto
def cv_path():
    return os.path.join(settings.MEDIA_ROOT, 'candidates/user_2')

```

I do not get any error and the cv field gives me a dropdown of all the CV’s saved for the user with an id of 2 but of course I cannot hardcode this.

How can I fix this error?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KenWhitesell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/kenwhitesell/32/280_2.png) [@KenWhitesell](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/KenWhitesell)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-filepathfield-throwing-a-typeerror/5640/2 "2020-12-10T15:26:45Z")

</div>

I don’t have a specific solution for this, but since you’re looking to generate different lists depending on user, this is something that needs to be changed at runtime. As a result, my first reaction is that you’re going to need to override some method within your ModelAdmin class - possibly [`get_form`](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/contrib/admin/#django.contrib.admin.ModelAdmin.get_form). That gives you access to the current request object from which you can retrieve the User.id to customize that field value.

**Very** rough idea:

```auto
class ApplicationAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    def get_form(self, request, obj=None, **kwargs):
        form = super().get_form(request, obj, **kwargs)
        file_path = cv_path(request.user.id)
        form.fields['cv'] = models.FilePathField(path=file_path, default=None)
        return form

```