python - Best way to delete a django model instance after a certain date -

i writing little app user creates event , specifies date event occur. after event date has past, want delete event instance. current attempt throwing function checks if event should expire in event page view. not sure whether expiration_check function checking in correct way, nor sure whether having function in view event work.

here view , expire function:

def event_page(request, name):     event = event.objects.get(name=name)      check_expiration(event)      if request.method == "post":         form = guestform(request.post)         if form.is_valid():             guest = form.save(commit=false)             guest.event = event             guest.save()             return redirect(event)     else:         form = guestform()         return render(request, "event_page.html", {"form": form, "event": event, })   def check_expiration(event):     = datetime.datetime.now()      if event.date < now: #if event date has past         event.delete() 

i collect date user , store in datetime filed: date = models.datefield()

let me know if further details needed. insight appreciated, thanks!

if you're hosting application on unix platform (gnu/linux, osx, etc.), it's best make use of cron, generic system utility running things periodically.

this requires implementing expiry code custom management command:

1. if don't have custom management commands already, create following directory structure:

   yourapp/   management/      __init__.py (blank)      commands/        __init__.py (blank)        expire_events.py 

2. in expire_events.py, create new class along lines of following:

   from django.core.management.base import noargscommand  class command(noargscommand):      = 'expires event objects out-of-date'      def handle_noargs(self):         print event.objects.filter(date__lt=datetime.datetime.now()).delete() 

3. now should able run ./manage.py expire_events , have events expiry dates in past deleted.

to run @ regular intervals using cron (these instructions gnu/linux may work on other unix variants), run sudo crontab -e , add following line:

*/5 * * * * /path/to/your/django/app/manage.py expire_events 

(this run task every 5 minutes; see the crontab documentation advice on specifying job run times)