Mastering Odoo Development: From Git Practices to Advanced Customization

Odoo development techniques. When diving into Odoo development, adopting proper Git practices is crucial. Developers often struggle with branch naming, but following conventions can streamline collaboration. At Odoo, we typically use a format like “version-taskID-developer-feature”. For instance, “17.0-1234-amy-custom-report” clearly indicates the version, task, developer, and feature.

Furthermore, this naming strategy allows quick access to related tasks. Simply plug the task ID into your project management URL to view details. Remember, while renaming branches is possible, it’s generally safer to create new ones for specific purposes.

Unlocking the Power of Odoo’s Source Code

Customizing Odoo apps requires access to their source code. For community modules like CRM, you can easily find the code on GitHub. However, exercise caution when modifying core files directly. Instead, create a new module that inherits from the original and override specific functionalities. This approach ensures better maintainability and compatibility with future updates.

To illustrate, let’s look at a simple example of extending the CRM module:

from odoo import models, fields

class CustomLead(models.Model):
    _inherit = 'crm.lead'

    custom_field = fields.Char(string="Custom Field", help="This is a custom field added to the lead model")

This code snippet demonstrates how to add a custom field to the CRM lead model without altering the core module.

Accelerating Your Learning with Odoo Technical Training

For those eager to master Odoo development, Odoo offers comprehensive technical training. This self-paced program, typically completed in about two weeks, covers essential topics through video lectures and hands-on exercises. It’s an excellent resource for developers transitioning from other technologies to Odoo’s unique ecosystem.

Exploring Odoo’s Frontend Framework: OWL

Odoo has developed its own frontend framework called OWL (Odoo Web Library). While similar to popular frameworks like React or Vue, OWL is tailored to Odoo’s specific needs, particularly in handling XML-based view updates across modules. Available since Odoo 14, OWL became the primary frontend framework in version 16, offering improved performance and developer experience.

For more information on why Odoo chose to create OWL, check out the talks by Géry Debongnie, OWL’s creator, at various Odoo Experience events.

Managing Kiosk Mode in Odoo Applications

Kiosk mode is commonly used in Odoo applications like Point of Sale (POS) and Attendance. However, users sometimes encounter issues with URL expiration. While the exact expiration period isn’t explicitly configurable, you can work around this by:

1. Regenerating the kiosk URL daily as part of your opening procedures.
2. Creating a scheduled action to automatically refresh the URL.

Here’s a basic example of how you might implement a scheduled action to refresh the kiosk URL:

from odoo import models, api

class HrAttendance(models.Model):
    _inherit = 'hr.attendance'

    @api.model
    def refresh_kiosk_url(self):
        attendance_config = self.env['res.config.settings'].create({})
        attendance_config.generate_kiosk_url()

Remember to set up this method as a scheduled action in your Odoo instance.

Triggering Actions After Module Installation

Odoo provides a mechanism to open specific web pages or perform actions after installing a custom module. This feature utilizes the ir.actions.todo record type. Here’s how you can implement it:

<record id="action_open_config_page" model="ir.actions.todo">
    <field name="name">Configure Your New Module</field>
    <field name="type">ir.actions.act_url</field>
    <field name="url">/web#action=module_name.action_config_wizard</field>
    <field name="sequence">1</field>
</record>

This XML record will trigger the opening of a configuration page after your module is installed. It’s particularly useful for guiding users through initial setup processes.

Navigating Time Zone Complexities in Odoo

Odoo development techniques. Time zone management in Odoo can be tricky. While there’s no global company-wide setting, Odoo handles time zones at the user level. The system stores all dates in UTC and converts them based on user preferences.

For specific use cases requiring consistent time display across users, you can utilize Odoo’s QWeb templating system. Here’s an example of how to display a date in a specific time zone:

<span t-esc="o.date" t-options='{"widget": "datetime", "time_zone": "Europe/Brussels"}'/>

This code snippet forces the display of a date in the Brussels time zone, regardless of user settings.

By mastering these various aspects of Odoo development, from Git practices to advanced customizations, you’ll be well-equipped to create powerful, tailored solutions for your clients or organization. Remember, Odoo’s flexibility is one of its greatest strengths – don’t hesitate to explore and experiment with these tools and techniques.