django-rest-framework, multitable model inheritance, ModelSerializers and nested serializers

Question

I can\'t find this info in the docs or on the interwebs.
latest django-rest-framework, django 1.6.5

How does one create a ModelSerializer that can handle a nes

Answer 1

I'm attempting to use a solution that involves different serializer subclasses for the different model subclasses:

class MyBaseModelSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):

    @staticmethod
    def _get_alt_class(cls, args, kwargs):
        if (cls != MyBaseModel):
            # we're instantiating a subclass already, use that class
            return cls

        # < logic to choose an alternative class to use >
        # in my case, I'm inspecting kwargs["data"] to make a decision
        # alt_cls = SomeSubClass

        return alt_cls

    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
        alt_cls = MyBaseModel.get_alt_class(cls, args, kwargs)
        return super(MyBaseModel, alt_cls).__new__(alt_cls, *args, **kwargs)

    class Meta:
        model=MyBaseModel

class ModelASerializer(MyBaseModelSerializer):
    class Meta:
        model=ModelA

class ModelBSerializer(MyBaseModelSerializer):
    class Meta:
        model=ModelB

That is, when you try and instantiate an object of type MyBaseModelSerializer, you actually end up with an object of one of the subclasses, which serialize (and crucially for me, deserialize) correctly.

I've just started using this, so it's possible that there are problems I've not run into yet.