# Django set formset with current user
**URL:** https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737
**Category:** Using Django
**Created:** [September 17, 2021, 11:15pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737 "2021-09-17T23:15:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@shawnngtq](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/shawnngtq)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2021, 11:15pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/1 "2021-09-17T23:15:19Z")
## Version
Django 3.2.7
## Context
I have a form that contains multiple inlineformset\_factory formset.
For all my models, they all have a meta field call `created_by` .
Main form is using a model call `Person`, with many formsets, for example, `PersonEmailFormSet` and `PersonImageFormSet`
## Problem
Only the main form Person’s `created_by` is filled by current user. For all the formsets (emailfs, imagefs), how can I set their `created_by` with current user?
## Code
Here is my views and my 7 different failed approaches.
```python
# home models.py
# base abstract model that all my models inherit
from urllib.parse import urlparse
from django.contrib.auth.models import User
from django.db import models
class Base(models.Model):
created_at = models.DateTimeField(
auto_now_add=True,
)
updated_at = models.DateTimeField(
auto_now=True,
)
created_by = models.ForeignKey(
User,
editable=False,
null=True,
on_delete=models.SET_NULL,
related_name="%(class)s_created_by",
)
updated_by = models.ForeignKey(
User,
editable=False,
null=True,
on_delete=models.SET_NULL,
related_name="%(class)s_updated_by",
)
class Meta:
abstract = True
ordering = ["-pk"]
```
```python
# personimage models.py
from django.db import models
from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
from imagekit.models import ProcessedImageField
from home.models import Base
from person.models import Person
# Create your models here.
class PersonImage(Base):
person = models.ForeignKey(
Person,
null=True,
on_delete=models.SET_NULL,
related_name="person_image",
)
image = ProcessedImageField(
format="WEBP",
upload_to=update_person_image_name,
)
class Meta:
db_table = "person_image"
def __str__ (self):
return str(self.image)
```
```python
# personimage forms.py
from django import forms
from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
from home.forms import MetadataFormWidget
from person.models import Person
from useruploadfile.models import PersonImage
class PersonImageForm(forms.ModelForm):
class Meta(MetadataFormWidget):
model = PersonImage
exclude = ("version_number",)
widgets = MetadataFormWidget.widgets.copy()
person_image_widgets = {
"image": forms.ClearableFileInput(
attrs={"multiple": False},
),
}
widgets |= person_image_widgets
def __init__ (self, *args, **kwargs):
# For method 6, 7 attempts
# self.created_by = created_by
super(). __init__ (*args, **kwargs)
PersonImageFormSet = forms.models.inlineformset_factory(
Person,
PersonImage,
form=PersonImageForm,
can_delete=False,
error_messages={
"image": {
"required": _(
"Please provide image for us to ensure that this person is unique"
)
}
},
extra=0,
min_num=1,
validate_min=True,
)
```
```python
# Person views.py
class PersonCreateView(LoginRequiredMixin, SuccessMessageMixin, CreateView):
...
model = Person
form_class = PersonForm
def get_context_data(self, **kwargs):
context = super(PersonCreateView, self).get_context_data(**kwargs)
if self.request.POST:
context["emailfs"] = PersonEmailFormSet(
self.request.POST, self.request.FILES
)
context["imagefs"] = PersonImageFormSet(
self.request.POST, self.request.FILES
)
# Method 6
# context["imagefs"] = PersonImageFormSet(
# self.request.POST, self.request.FILES, user=self.request.user
# )
# Method 7
# context["imagefs"] = PersonImageFormSet(
# self.request.POST, self.request.FILES, form_kwargs={'created_by': self.request.user}
# )
else:
context["emailfs"] = PersonEmailFormSet()
context["imagefs"] = PersonImageFormSet()
return context
def form_valid(self, form):
form.instance.created_by = self.request.user
context = self.get_context_data()
emailfs = context["emailfs"]
imagefs = context["imagefs"]
personfs = [emailfs, imagefs]
if (
form.is_valid()
and all(fs.is_valid() for fs in personfs)
):
self.object = form.save()
for fs in personfs:
# Method 1
# fs.created_by = self.request.user
# Method 2
# self.created_by = self.request.user
fs.instance = self.object
# Method 3
# fs.created_by = self.request.user
# Method 4
# fs.instance.created_by = self.request.user
# Method 5
# for f in fs.forms:
# f.user = self.request.user
# f.save()
fs.save()
else:
return self.form_invalid(form)
return super(PersonCreateView, self).form_valid(form)
```
---
### Author:  [@KenWhitesell](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/KenWhitesell)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2021, 11:31pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/2 "2021-09-17T23:31:05Z")
We’ll need to see more - at least the Models behind “PersonEmailFormSet” (or ImageFormSet) and the formset definitions.
In general, you need to iterate through the individual forms. See [Overriding clean on a model formset.](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.2/topics/forms/modelforms/#overriding-clean-on-a-modelformset)
---
### Author:  [@shawnngtq](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/shawnngtq)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/3 "2021-09-18T00:10:40Z")
I just updated with the PersonImage model + formset definitions.
I don’t use the Formset `clean` method since they are used as inlineformset\_factory, not sure if it works / recommended.
The only place that contains the save logic is under Person `views.py` CreateView.
---
### Author:  [@KenWhitesell](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/KenWhitesell)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2021, 12:14am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/4 "2021-09-18T00:14:51Z")
Ok, I don’t see a created\_by field in the PersonImage model. Nothing you do in the form for it is going to be saved.
A formset is just a collection of forms. Each form within a formset is a form, is handled and managed like any other form.
---
### Author:  [@shawnngtq](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/shawnngtq)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2021, 12:17am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/5 "2021-09-18T00:17:56Z")
The `PersonImage` inherit the `Base` abstract model. All my models inherit `Base` abstract models.
So it has `created_at`, `updated_at`, `created_by_id` and `updated_by_id` columns in database. When I try to add, I am using `created_by`
---
### Author:  [@KenWhitesell](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/KenWhitesell)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2021, 12:19am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/6 "2021-09-18T00:19:15Z")
Got it.
Ok, when your formsets are submitted, you need to follow the pattern as described in the docs I linked in my previous response.
---
### Author:  [@shawnngtq](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/shawnngtq)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/7 "2021-09-18T00:33:43Z")
Not sure where I screw up, after I update the PersonImage ModelForm by adding the `clean` method like the doc, it would throw error `AttributeError: 'PersonImageForm' object has no attribute 'forms'`
```python
class PersonImageForm(forms.ModelForm):
class Meta(MetadataFormWidget):
model = PersonImage
exclude = ("version_number",)
widgets = MetadataFormWidget.widgets.copy()
person_image_widgets = {
"image": forms.ClearableFileInput(
attrs={"multiple": False},
),
}
widgets |= person_image_widgets
def __init__ (self, *args, **kwargs):
super(). __init__ (*args, **kwargs)
# This portion return this error
# AttributeError: 'PersonImageForm' object has no attribute 'forms'
def clean(self):
super().clean()
for form in self.forms:
form.instance.created_by = self.request.user
```
---
### Author:  [@KenWhitesell](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/KenWhitesell)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/8 "2021-09-18T00:36:01Z")
That’s because PersonImageForm is a form. it’s not a set of forms. The formset is the set of forms.
---
### Author:  [@shawnngtq](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/shawnngtq)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2021, 12:49am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/9 "2021-09-18T00:49:16Z")
Alright, so it means I need to change my `PersonImageFormSet` from `inlineformset_factory` to `BaseInlineFormSet` in order to define the `clean` method?
```python
PersonImageFormSet = forms.models.inlineformset_factory(
Person,
PersonImage,
form=PersonImageForm,
can_delete=False,
error_messages={
"image": {
"required": _(
"Please provide image for us to ensure that this person is unique"
)
}
},
extra=0,
min_num=1,
validate_min=True,
)
```
---
### Author:  [@KenWhitesell](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/KenWhitesell)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/10 "2021-09-18T01:46:38Z")
Not quite - as documented in the examples at [Overriding methods on an `InlineFormSet`](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.2/topics/forms/modelforms/#overriding-methods-on-an-inlineformset), you define a custom formset class that inherits from BaseInlineFormSet, then pass it as the formset parameter in your call to inlineformset\_factory.
---
### Author:  [@shawnngtq](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/shawnngtq)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2021, 7:09am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-set-formset-with-current-user/9737/11 "2021-09-18T07:09:17Z")
Thanks for pointing me to the right direction. Finally understand that you can have both `form` and `formset` under `inlineformset_factory`.