using datetime.utcnow() to set default value in flask-sqlalchemy

Question

Using the code below, I intend to use the datetime.utcnow() value as the default value for that field, but it gives an Attribute Error message that says 'SQLALchemy' object has no attribute 'Datetime'

from flask import Flask, flash, render_template, redirect, request, url_for
from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
from datetime import datetime

app = Flask(__name__)
app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'] = 'sqlite:///HRS.sqlite3'
app.config['SECRET_KEY'] = 'any key'

db = SQLAlchemy(app)

class Treatment(db.Model):
    treatmentDate = db.Column('Date of treatment', db.Datetime, default=datetime.utcnow())

Pass the function as the default, don't call it. And the type is `DateTime`, not `Datetime`. — Ilja Everilä, Apr 04 '18 at 17:35
I am very new to programming.. so please how do I pass the function as the default — Stephen C. O., Apr 04 '18 at 17:45

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 04 '18 at 18:38

In code what the comments already say:

# rest stays the same

class Treatment(db.Model):
    treatmentDate = db.Column('Date of treatment', db.DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow)

"Passing the function and not calling it" means leaving the brackets () at the end off. Calling the function like you do will actually pass in a datetime object, but what you want is to pass in the function itself as the default to be called in the moment you create a new instance of Treatment.

using datetime.utcnow() to set default value in flask-sqlalchemy

1 Answers1