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## Django documentation

# 2. Adding __repr__() to models

Although it's not a strict requirement, each model should have a `__repr__()` method to return a "human-readable" representation of the object. Do this not only for your own sanity when dealing with the interactive prompt, but also because objects' representations are used throughout Django's automatically-generated admin.

## Model source code

    from django.core import meta

    class Article(meta.Model):
        headline = meta.CharField(maxlength=100)
        pub_date = meta.DateTimeField()

        def __repr__(self):
            return self.headline

## API reference

### Article objects have the following methods:

- `delete()`
- `get_next_by_pub_date()`
- `get_previous_by_pub_date()`
- `save()`

## Sample API usage

This sample code assumes the above model has been saved in a file `examplemodel.py`.

    >>> from django.models.examplemodel import articles

    # Create an Article.
    >>> from datetime import datetime
    >>> a = articles.Article(headline='Area man programs in Python', pub_date=datetime(2005, 7, 28))
    >>> a.save()

    >>> repr(a)
    'Area man programs in Python'

    >>> a
    Area man programs in Python

## Comments

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