from django.contrib.auth.models import AbstractBaseUser, BaseUserManager, PermissionsMixin
from django.db import models
class CustomUserManager(BaseUserManager):
def create_user(self, email, password=None, **extra_fields):
if not email:
raise ValueError('Email is required')
email = self.normalize_email(email)
user = self.model(email=email, **extra_fields)
user.set_password(password)
user.save(using=self._db)
return user
def create_superuser(self, email, password=None, **extra_fields):
extra_fields.setdefault('is_staff', True)
extra_fields.setdefault('is_superuser', True)
return self.create_user(email, password, **extra_fields)
class User(AbstractBaseUser, PermissionsMixin):
email = models.EmailField(unique=True)
first_name = models.CharField(max_length=30, blank=True)
last_name = models.CharField(max_length=30, blank=True)
is_active = models.BooleanField(default=True)
is_staff = models.BooleanField(default=False)
date_joined = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
objects = CustomUserManager()
USERNAME_FIELD = 'email'
REQUIRED_FIELDS = ['first_name', 'last_name']
def get_full_name(self):
return f'{self.first_name} {self.last_name}'.strip()
def __str__(self):
return self.email
Using email instead of username for authentication is a common requirement. I extend AbstractBaseUser and create a custom user manager early in the project because switching later means complex data migrations. The key is setting USERNAME_FIELD = 'email' and defining REQUIRED_FIELDS appropriately. I also add is_active, is_staff, and is_superuser to maintain compatibility with Django's admin and permissions system. This pattern keeps authentication flexible while working seamlessly with Django's built-in auth views and decorators.
