Pluralized URL slugs for Custom Object Types (#179)

Author: bctiemann

netbox_custom_objects/api/serializers.py

@@ -115,13 +115,16 @@ class Meta:
             "id",
             "url",
             "name",
+            "verbose_name",
+            "verbose_name_plural",
+            "slug",
             "description",
             "tags",
             "created",
             "last_updated",
             "fields",
         ]
-        brief_fields = ("id", "url", "name", "description")
+        brief_fields = ("id", "url", "name", "slug", "description")
 
     def create(self, validated_data):
         return super().create(validated_data)
@@ -192,7 +195,7 @@ def get_url(self, obj):
         lookup_value = getattr(obj, "pk")
         kwargs = {
             "pk": lookup_value,
-            "custom_object_type": obj.custom_object_type.name.lower(),
+            "custom_object_type": obj.custom_object_type.slug,
         }
         request = self.context["request"]
         format = self.context.get("format")
@@ -230,7 +233,7 @@ def get_url(self, obj):
         lookup_value = getattr(obj, "pk")
         kwargs = {
             "pk": lookup_value,
-            "custom_object_type": obj.custom_object_type.name.lower(),
+            "custom_object_type": obj.custom_object_type.slug,
         }
         request = self.context["request"]
         format = self.context.get("format")

netbox_custom_objects/api/urls.py

@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def get(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
         # Extra logic to populate roots for custom object type lists
         for custom_object_type in CustomObjectType.objects.all():
             local_kwargs = deepcopy(kwargs)
-            cot_name = custom_object_type.name.lower()
+            cot_name = custom_object_type.slug
             url_name = 'customobject-list'
             local_kwargs['custom_object_type'] = cot_name
             if namespace:

netbox_custom_objects/api/views.py

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class CustomObjectViewSet(ModelViewSet):
 
     def get_view_name(self):
         if self.model:
-            return self.model.custom_object_type.name
+            return self.model.custom_object_type.verbose_name or self.model.custom_object_type.name
         return 'Custom Object'
 
     def get_serializer_class(self):
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def get_serializer_class(self):
     def get_queryset(self):
         try:
             custom_object_type = CustomObjectType.objects.get(
-                name__iexact=self.kwargs["custom_object_type"]
+                slug=self.kwargs["custom_object_type"]
             )
         except CustomObjectType.DoesNotExist:
             raise Http404

netbox_custom_objects/fields.py

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def get_bound_field(self, form, field_name):
             widget.attrs["data-url"] = reverse(
                 viewname,
                 kwargs={
-                    "custom_object_type": form.instance.custom_object_type.name.lower()
+                    "custom_object_type": form.instance.custom_object_type.slug
                 },
             )
 
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def get_bound_field(self, form, field_name):
                 "url": reverse(
                     viewname,
                     kwargs={
-                        "custom_object_type": form.instance.custom_object_type.name.lower()
+                        "custom_object_type": form.instance.custom_object_type.slug
                     },
                 ),
                 "params": {},

netbox_custom_objects/forms.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from netbox.forms import (NetBoxModelBulkEditForm, NetBoxModelFilterSetForm,
                           NetBoxModelForm, NetBoxModelImportForm)
 from utilities.forms.fields import (CommentField, ContentTypeChoiceField,
-                                    DynamicModelChoiceField, TagFilterField)
+                                    DynamicModelChoiceField, SlugField, TagFilterField)
 from utilities.forms.rendering import FieldSet
 from utilities.object_types import object_type_name
 
@@ -26,16 +26,36 @@
 
 
 class CustomObjectTypeForm(NetBoxModelForm):
+    verbose_name = forms.CharField(
+        label=_("Readable name"),
+        max_length=100,
+        required=False,
+        help_text=_("Displayed object type name, e.g. \"Vendor Policy\""),
+    )
     verbose_name_plural = forms.CharField(
-        label=_("Readable plural name"), max_length=100, required=False
+        label=_("Readable plural name"),
+        max_length=100,
+        required=False,
+        help_text=_("Displayed plural object type name, e.g. \"Vendor Policies\""),
+    )
+    slug = SlugField(
+        slug_source="verbose_name_plural",
+        help_text=_("URL-friendly unique plural shorthand, e.g. \"vendor-policies\""),
     )
 
-    fieldsets = (FieldSet("name", "verbose_name_plural", "description", "tags"),)
+    fieldsets = (
+        FieldSet(
+            "name", "verbose_name", "verbose_name_plural", "slug", "description", "tags",
+        ),
+    )
     comments = CommentField()
 
     class Meta:
         model = CustomObjectType
-        fields = ("name", "verbose_name_plural", "description", "comments", "tags")
+        fields = (
+            "name", "verbose_name", "verbose_name_plural", "slug", "description",
+            "comments", "tags",
+        )
 
 
 class CustomObjectTypeBulkEditForm(NetBoxModelBulkEditForm):

netbox_custom_objects/migrations/0001_initial.py

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Generated by Django 5.2.5 on 2025-08-18 17:15
+# Generated by Django 5.2.5 on 2025-08-22 18:57
 
 import django.core.validators
 import django.db.models.deletion
@@ -52,9 +52,29 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
                 ),
                 ("description", models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=200)),
                 ("comments", models.TextField(blank=True)),
-                ("name", models.CharField(max_length=100, unique=True)),
+                (
+                    "name",
+                    models.CharField(
+                        max_length=100,
+                        unique=True,
+                        validators=[
+                            django.core.validators.RegexValidator(
+                                message="Only lowercase alphanumeric characters and underscores are allowed.",
+                                regex="^[a-z0-9_]+$",
+                            ),
+                            django.core.validators.RegexValidator(
+                                flags=re.RegexFlag["IGNORECASE"],
+                                inverse_match=True,
+                                message="Double underscores are not permitted in custom object object type names.",
+                                regex="__",
+                            ),
+                        ],
+                    ),
+                ),
                 ("schema", models.JSONField(blank=True, default=dict)),
+                ("verbose_name", models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=100)),
                 ("verbose_name_plural", models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=100)),
+                ("slug", models.SlugField(max_length=100, unique=True)),
                 (
                     "tags",
                     taggit.managers.TaggableManager(

netbox_custom_objects/models.py

@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def __str__(self):
                 self, primary_field["name"]
             )
         if not primary_field_value:
-            return f"{self.custom_object_type.name} {self.id}"
+            return f"{self.custom_object_type.display_name} {self.id}"
         return str(primary_field_value) or str(self.id)
 
     @property
@@ -134,14 +134,14 @@ def get_absolute_url(self):
             "plugins:netbox_custom_objects:customobject",
             kwargs={
                 "pk": self.pk,
-                "custom_object_type": self.custom_object_type.name.lower(),
+                "custom_object_type": self.custom_object_type.slug,
             },
         )
 
     def get_list_url(self):
         return reverse(
             "plugins:netbox_custom_objects:customobject_list",
-            kwargs={"custom_object_type": self.custom_object_type.name.lower()},
+            kwargs={"custom_object_type": self.custom_object_type.slug},
         )
 
     @classmethod
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ def _get_viewname(cls, action=None, rest_api=False):
     def _get_action_url(cls, action=None, rest_api=False, kwargs=None):
         if kwargs is None:
             kwargs = {}
-        kwargs["custom_object_type"] = cls.custom_object_type.name.lower()
+        kwargs["custom_object_type"] = cls.custom_object_type.slug
         return reverse(cls._get_viewname(action, rest_api), kwargs=kwargs)
 
 
@@ -164,9 +164,29 @@ class CustomObjectType(PrimaryModel):
     _through_model_cache = (
         {}
     )  # Now stores {custom_object_type_id: {through_model_name: through_model}}
-    name = models.CharField(max_length=100, unique=True)
+    name = models.CharField(
+        max_length=100,
+        unique=True,
+        help_text=_("Internal lowercased object name, e.g. \"vendor_policy\""),
+        validators=(
+            RegexValidator(
+                regex=r"^[a-z0-9_]+$",
+                message=_("Only lowercase alphanumeric characters and underscores are allowed."),
+            ),
+            RegexValidator(
+                regex=r"__",
+                message=_(
+                    "Double underscores are not permitted in custom object object type names."
+                ),
+                flags=re.IGNORECASE,
+                inverse_match=True,
+            ),
+        ),
+    )
     schema = models.JSONField(blank=True, default=dict)
+    verbose_name = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True)
     verbose_name_plural = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True)
+    slug = models.SlugField(max_length=100, unique=True, db_index=True)
 
     class Meta:
         verbose_name = "Custom Object Type"
@@ -182,7 +202,7 @@ class Meta:
         ]
 
     def __str__(self):
-        return self.name
+        return self.display_name
 
     @classmethod
     def clear_model_cache(cls, custom_object_type_id=None):
@@ -266,7 +286,7 @@ def get_absolute_url(self):
     def get_list_url(self):
         return reverse(
             "plugins:netbox_custom_objects:customobject_list",
-            kwargs={"custom_object_type": self.name.lower()},
+            kwargs={"custom_object_type": self.slug},
         )
 
     @classmethod
@@ -354,16 +374,24 @@ def get_collision_safe_order_id_idx_name(self):
     def get_database_table_name(self):
         return f"{USER_TABLE_DATABASE_NAME_PREFIX}{self.id}"
 
+    @property
+    def title_case_name(self):
+        return title(self.verbose_name or self.name)
+
     @property
     def title_case_name_plural(self):
-        return title(self.name) + "s"
+        return title(self.verbose_name or self.name) + "s"
 
     def get_verbose_name(self):
-        return self.name
+        return self.verbose_name or self.title_case_name
 
     def get_verbose_name_plural(self):
         return self.verbose_name_plural or self.title_case_name_plural
 
+    @property
+    def display_name(self):
+        return self.get_verbose_name()
+
     @staticmethod
     def get_content_type_label(custom_object_type_id):
         custom_object_type = CustomObjectType.objects.get(pk=custom_object_type_id)

netbox_custom_objects/navigation.py

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def __iter__(self):
             add_button.url = reverse_lazy(
                 f"plugins:{APP_LABEL}:customobject_add",
                 kwargs={
-                    "custom_object_type": custom_object_type.name.lower()
+                    "custom_object_type": custom_object_type.slug
                 },
             )
             menu_item = PluginMenuItem(
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def __iter__(self):
             )
             menu_item.url = reverse_lazy(
                 f"plugins:{APP_LABEL}:customobject_list",
-                kwargs={"custom_object_type": custom_object_type.name.lower()},
+                kwargs={"custom_object_type": custom_object_type.slug},
             )
             yield menu_item
 

netbox_custom_objects/tables.py

@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def render(self, record, table, **kwargs):
                     get_viewname(model, action),
                     kwargs={
                         "pk": record.pk,
-                        "custom_object_type": record.custom_object_type.name.lower(),
+                        "custom_object_type": record.custom_object_type.slug,
                     },
                 )
 

netbox_custom_objects/templates/netbox_custom_objects/customobject.html

@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
           <tr>
             <th scope="row">{% trans "Type" %}</th>
             <td>
-                {{ object.custom_object_type|linkify:"name" }}
+                {{ object.custom_object_type|linkify:"display_name" }}
             </td>
           </tr>
           <tr>