How to modify an installed django app

Question

I'm using the django registration app in my django site. And now I want to add more custom code. I think it would be better if I can modify directly to the original code of the django registration app.

How can I do that?

Should I just download the source code of the django registration app and then put into my project folder. From my understanding, it will check the files right under my project folder first before checking similar files under DJANGO_HOME\contrib.

Is it right?

Answer 1

Disclaimer: generally, it is considered bad to edit source code of installed apps. Another application on the same host would not be aware of your changes (btw, take a look at virtualenv). You can forget you've changed somehting and get unexpected behavior. You will not track changes. Ie, it's too easy to break something. If you want to change an existing app, copy it to your project dir and then change.

From your other question, it looks you're asking about django-registration from ubernostrum. This app supports custom backends and events that would be probably enough for you.

Answer 2

Ideally, you should not modify the source unless you want to push the changes back to the original source.

Just create a new app and extend/override/copy whatever methods that are custom for your project.

The reason for this is that if django-registration updates their code, you're gonna run into maintenance overhead. If it's separate, you can still update it with pip (you are using virtualenv right?), and then all you need to change are your custom methods and classes.

Answer 3

Yes, you can simply place it in your project folder, and modify it to work as you wish. You can also remove the installed one since you will no longer need it in this case.

Do remember to included it in your INSTALLED_APPS in your settings file.