# Multiple Select with ModelForm

**URL:** <https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/multiple-select-with-modelform/39386>\
**Category:** Forms & APIs\
**Created:** [March 8, 2025, 12:29pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/multiple-select-with-modelform/39386 "2025-03-08T12:29:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ressif3lt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/ressif3lt/32/27349_2.png) [@ressif3lt](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/ressif3lt)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 12:29pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/multiple-select-with-modelform/39386/1 "2025-03-08T12:29:09Z")

</div>

Hello, I am a beginner in Django. Please excuse me if I have a stupid question.

I am trying to create a multiple select input with ManyToManyField and SelectMultiple. I can properly save the values to the database, but the selected values ​​are not visible in the multiple select input field on my edit page. I’m missing something but not sure what it is ?

Model.py

```auto
class Store(models.Model):
    Id = models.AutoField(primary_key=True)
    Name = models.CharField(max_length=50)
    Location = models.CharField(max_length=50)
    Authorized_personals = models.ManyToManyField(settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,default= None)
    Add_date = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True, blank=True)
    Upd_date = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True, blank=True)
    Add_userid = models.IntegerField(default = 0,blank=True)
    Upd_userid = models.IntegerField(default = 0,blank=True)

```

Form.py

```auto
class addStoreForm(ModelForm):
    Authorized_personals = forms.MultipleChoiceField(choices=[(user.id,user.first_name+" "+user.last_name ) for user in User.objects.all()],widget=forms.SelectMultiple)
    class Meta:
        model = Store
        fields = ["Name","Location","Authorized_personals"]
        widgets = {
            "Name" : forms.TextInput(attrs={'class':'form-control','placeholder':'Store Name'}),
            "Location" : forms.TextInput(attrs={'class':'form-control','placeholder':'Store Location'}),
        }

```

Views.py

```auto

def updStore(request,store_id):
    store = get_object_or_404(Store, pk=store_id)
    if request.method == "POST":
        form = addStoreForm(request.POST,instance=store)
        if form.is_valid():
            form.save()
            return HttpResponseRedirect(reverse("updStore", args=(store_id,)))
    else:
        form = addStoreForm(instance=store)
        return render(request, "stok_analiz/addStore.html", {'form': form,"data":request})

```

Template html

```auto
{% extends "stok_analiz/base.html"%} {% block content %}
<form method="post" action="#">
    {% csrf_token %}
  <section class="">
    <div class="container-fluid" style="margin-top: 20px; height: 80vh">
        <div class="row">
            <div class="col-lg-12">
              <div class="row">
                <div class="col">{{form.Name}}</div>
              </div>
              <div class="row" style="margin-top: 20px;">
                <div class="col">{{form.Location}}</div>
              </div>
              <div class="row" style="margin-top: 20px;">
                <div class="col">{{form.Authorized_personals}}</div>
              </div>
            </div>
        </div>
        </section>
  <section class="">
    <div class="container-fluid">
      <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary" style="float: right">
        Save
      </button>
    </div>
  </section>
</form>
{% endblock %}

```

---

<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:** [March 8, 2025, 7:29pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/multiple-select-with-modelform/39386/2 "2025-03-08T19:29:15Z")

</div>

Welcome @ressif3lt !

> [@ressif3lt](#):
>
> ```auto
> Authorized_personals = forms.MultipleChoiceField(choices=[(user.id,user.first_name+" "+user.last_name ) for user in User.objects.all()],widget=forms.SelectMultiple)
> 
> ```

This isn’t going to work the way you want it to.

As a field definition, this is evaluated _once_, when the module is being loaded - not each time that an instance of this form is being created.

This sort of customization would need to be done in the ` __init__ ` method of the form class.

However, you are also defining this field as a `MultipleChoiceField` where it should be a [ModelMultipleChoiceField](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.1/ref/forms/fields/#modelmultiplechoicefield). Instead of `choices`, it should be a queryset defined for these selections, which also allows for the initialization of the existing relationship with the `Store` instance.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ressif3lt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/ressif3lt/32/27349_2.png) [@ressif3lt](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/ressif3lt)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 8:04pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/multiple-select-with-modelform/39386/3 "2025-03-08T20:04:52Z")

</div>

Hello Ken,  
Thank your for replying.  
I understand using queryset is much more proper way to do it rather than choices.  
I dont want to set a _ **str** _ in my Store model, Beause i want to use it in diffrent ways.

Is it possible to create custom queryset or i have to use the model ?

I found a diffrent method to solve this issue by adding.  
`form["Authorized_personals"].initial = [c.pk for c in store.Authorized_personals.all()]` in my views.py

But still not sure if its the right attitute

```auto
def updStore(request,store_id):
    store = get_object_or_404(Store, pk=store_id)
    if request.method == "POST":
        form = addStoreForm(request.POST,instance=store)
        if form.is_valid():
            form.save()
            return HttpResponseRedirect(reverse("updStore", args=(store_id,)))
    else:
        form = addStoreForm(instance=store)
        form["Authorized_personals"].initial = [c.pk for c in store.Authorized_personals.all()]
        return render(request, "stok_analiz/addStore.html", {'form': form,"data":request})

```

---

<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:** [March 8, 2025, 8:09pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/multiple-select-with-modelform/39386/4 "2025-03-08T20:09:09Z")

</div>

> [@ressif3lt](#):
>
> I understand using queryset is much more proper way to do it rather than choices.

It is the _correct_ way to do it. If you want this to work properly, you want to use the `ModelMultipleChoiceField`.

You don’t need to use ` __str__ `, the docs I referenced show you how to use a custom label. (Side note: It’s not `Store` that would need the custom label, that’s the base class for the form. It’s the `User` model that would need to create the label.)

You have other options at well, but the `label_from_instance` is the easiest.