Migrate the existing data to the appropriate application migration file. Using the article from the Real Python section: The Django Way: "Rename the table", I renamed the tables/data.

I used the RemoveField migration operation to remove the fields from the model. And I used the DeleteModel operation to delete the entire table of a model. These two operations separate the database content from the "old" table, otherwise the initial migration files would always point to the same tables.
The final step of the migration operation was AlterModelTable. This step renames the table and associates it with the newly created model.

from django.db import migrations


class Migration(migrations.Migration):

    dependencies = [
        ('oc_lettings_site', '0001_initial'),
    ]

    operations = [
        migrations.SeparateDatabaseAndState(
            state_operations=[
                migrations.RemoveField(
                    model_name='letting',
                    name='address',
                ),
            ],
            database_operations=[],
        ),
        migrations.SeparateDatabaseAndState(
            state_operations=[
                migrations.RemoveField(
                    model_name='profile',
                    name='user',
                ),
            ],
            database_operations=[],
        ),
        migrations.SeparateDatabaseAndState(
            state_operations=[
                migrations.DeleteModel(
                    name='Address',
                ),
            ],
            database_operations=[
                migrations.AlterModelTable(
                    name='Address',
                    table='lettings_address',
                ),
            ],
        ),
        migrations.SeparateDatabaseAndState(
            state_operations=[
                migrations.DeleteModel(
                    name='Letting',
                ),
            ],
            database_operations=[
                migrations.AlterModelTable(
                    name='Letting',
                    table='lettings_letting',
                ),
            ],
        ),
        migrations.SeparateDatabaseAndState(
            state_operations=[
                migrations.DeleteModel(
                    name='Profile',
                ),
            ],
            database_operations=[
                migrations.AlterModelTable(
                    name='Profile',
                    table='profiles_profile',
                ),
            ],
        ),
    ]

In Django, migrations are used to alter the database schema and structure when the models in the application change. In your code, the migrations.SeparateDatabaseAndState method is used to handle scenarios where the in-memory model state operations (state_operations) need to be decoupled from the actual database schema operations (database_operations). Here’s a breakdown of what each operation in your migration file is doing:

1. migrations.RemoveField

migrations.RemoveField(
    model_name='letting',
    name='address',
)

• • Purpose: This operation removes a field named address from the Letting model.
  • Effect:
    • In terms of the model: After this operation, the Letting model in Django’s internal state will no longer have the address field.
    • In terms of the database: If executed as a direct migration, this would typically drop the corresponding column (address_id) in the letting table. However, here it's specified within state_operations, so it affects the in-memory model state but not the database schema directly.

2. migrations.DeleteModel

migrations.DeleteModel(
    name='Address',
)

• • Purpose: This operation deletes the Address model entirely.
  • Effect:
    • In terms of the model: The Address model is removed from Django’s internal state, meaning you can no longer query it or use it in your code.
    • In terms of the database: The corresponding table (lettings_address) would usually be dropped from the database, but in this case, it's handled separately using database_operations to prevent this drop.

3. migrations.AlterModelTable

migrations.AlterModelTable(
    name='Address',
    table='lettings_address',
)

• • Purpose: This operation changes the table name for the Address model.
  • Effect:
    • In terms of the database: It renames the existing database table to lettings_address.
    • This is included in the database_operations section because it deals directly with the database schema rather than altering the model's in-memory state.

Summary of the Migration

1. 1. migrations.RemoveField: Removes the address field from the Letting model (model state change).
   2. migrations.DeleteModel: Deletes the Address model from the internal Django state (model state change), but since database_operations are defined, the table will not be dropped.
   3. migrations.AlterModelTable: Changes the table name of the Address model to lettings_address (database schema change).

This approach is useful when you want to change the Django model state but preserve some aspects of the database schema manually. In this case, you are deleting the model Address from Django but keeping the corresponding table in the database, which is why you explicitly use AlterModelTable to rename it.

When dealing with Django migrations, it's common to encounter scenarios where you need to align Django's internal model state with the underlying database schema. In your example, the goal appears to be connecting a new or refactored model to an existing database table while ensuring consistency between the model's representation and the actual database schema.

Why Remove Fields and Delete the Model?

1. 1. Django Tracks the Internal State of Models:

      • Django maintains a representation of your models through its internal migration state. Any changes to your models (e.g., fields, models, or related tables) need to be reflected in this state so that Django knows what the "current" structure should be.
      • If you have an Address model with fields, removing it in Django’s codebase will make Django expect that the model (and its fields) are no longer in use. This expectation needs to be formally expressed through migrations so that the model’s absence is understood.

   2. Separating In-Memory State Changes from Database Schema Changes:

      • By using SeparateDatabaseAndState, you can alter the in-memory state separately from the database schema.
      • Removing fields and deleting the model in the state_operations ensures that Django’s migration system reflects the fact that this model and its fields no longer exist in your Python code. But this does not impact the actual database tables until you apply changes via database_operations.

   3. Avoiding Conflicts and Data Loss:

      • Without RemoveField and DeleteModel, Django would still have references to the old model (Address) and its fields. This can lead to schema conflicts when trying to connect a new model to the old database table.
      • If you simply renamed the table and tried to associate it with a "new" model without removing the old one, Django’s migration system might get confused and create duplicate tables or fail with errors about field or table name conflicts.

Connecting the 'Old' Database Table to a 'New' Model

• • If your end goal is to connect an existing table to a new model, Django needs to see that you’ve removed the old model and are explicitly associating the new one.
  • By removing fields and deleting the old model, you’re effectively telling Django:
    1. This old model and its fields should no longer be tracked.
    2. I want to connect a new (or refactored) model to the same table using the AlterModelTable operation.

Migration Sequence Explanation

Here’s how it breaks down in your specific migration:

1. 1. Remove the address field from Letting so that Letting is no longer linked to the Address model.
   2. Delete the Address model in Django’s in-memory state, indicating it’s not used anymore in your application code.
   3. Rename the table (using AlterModelTable) to keep the database content but update its association.

This pattern ensures that:

1. 1. Django no longer tracks the old Address model or its fields.
   2. The table remains in the database under the new name, ready to be re-associated with a different model.

What Happens Without This Sequence?

If you skip the RemoveField and DeleteModel operations:

1. 1. Django would still consider the Address model and its fields part of your project, causing confusion when trying to associate a new model with the same table.
   2. Schema conflicts can occur when two models (the old Address and a new one) try to interact with the same table.
   3. Your database content might get corrupted or cause runtime errors if Django tries to apply changes based on the outdated model state.

Key Takeaway

• • The RemoveField and DeleteModel are necessary to "clean up" Django’s internal state so it correctly understands the structure you’re aiming for.
  • The AlterModelTable then safely renames the table and prepares it for use with the new model, ensuring no data loss.

This approach ensures a smooth transition of database content to a new model without disrupting Django’s tracking of your application’s schema.