Class ForeignKey

django/db/models/fields/related.py:962–1340

Provide a many-to-one relation by adding a column to the local model to hold the remote value. By default ForeignKey will target the pk of the remote model but this behavior can be changed by using the ``to_field`` argument.

class ForeignKey(ForeignObject):
    """
    Provide a many-to-one relation by adding a column to the local model
    to hold the remote value.

    By default ForeignKey will target the pk of the remote model but this
    behavior can be changed by using the ``to_field`` argument.
    """

    descriptor_class = ForeignKeyDeferredAttribute
    # Field flags
    many_to_many = False
    many_to_one = True
    one_to_many = False
    one_to_one = False

    rel_class = ManyToOneRel

    empty_strings_allowed = False
    default_error_messages = {
        "invalid": _(
            "%(model)s instance with %(field)s %(value)r is not a valid choice."
        )
    }
    description = _("Foreign Key (type determined by related field)")

    def __init__(
        self,
        to,
        on_delete,
        related_name=None,
        related_query_name=None,
        limit_choices_to=None,
        parent_link=False,
        to_field=None,
        db_constraint=True,
        **kwargs,
    ):
        try:
            to._meta.model_name
        except AttributeError:
            if not isinstance(to, str):
                raise TypeError(
                    "%s(%r) is invalid. First parameter to ForeignKey must be "
                    "either a model, a model name, or the string %r"
                    % (
                        self.__class__.__name__,
                        to,
                        RECURSIVE_RELATIONSHIP_CONSTANT,
                    )
                )
        else:
            # For backwards compatibility purposes, we need to *try* and set
            # the to_field during FK construction. It won't be guaranteed to
            # be correct until contribute_to_class is called. Refs #12190.
            to_field = to_field or (to._meta.pk and to._meta.pk.name)
        if not callable(on_delete):
            raise TypeError("on_delete must be callable.")