added clickable links between objects on API through additional serializers

roomlist/api/serializers.py

 # standard library imports
 from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function
-# core django imports
-from django.core.serializers import serialize
 # third party imports
 from rest_framework import serializers
+from rest_framework.reverse import reverse
 # imports from your apps
 from housing.models import Building, Floor, Room
 from accounts.models import Major
 
 
+# we're not using DRF's default hyperlinks because we need to look up multiple fields
+class FloorURLSerializer(serializers.HyperlinkedIdentityField):
+
+    def get_url(self, obj, view_name, request, format):
+        url = reverse(view_name,
+                      kwargs={'building__building_name': obj.building.building_name,
+                              'floor_num': obj.number},
+                      request=request,
+                      format=format)
+        return url
+
+
+class RoomURLSerializer(serializers.HyperlinkedIdentityField):
+
+    def get_url(self, obj, view_name, request, format):
+        url = reverse(view_name,
+                      kwargs={'floor__building__building_name': obj.floor.building.building_name,
+                              'floor__floor_num': obj.floor.number,
+                              'room_num': obj.number},
+                      request=request,
+                      format=format)
+        return url
+
+
+# these serializers are both used as fields for other serialzers
+class FloorNumSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
+
+    url = FloorURLSerializer(view_name='api_detail_floor')
+
+    class Meta:
+        model = Floor
+        fields = ('url', 'number')
+
+
+class RoomNumSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
+
+    url = RoomURLSerializer(view_name='api_detail_room')
+
+    class Meta:
+        model = Room
+        fields = ('url', 'number')
+
+
+# the main serializers
 class BuildingSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
 
-    # using django's built-in serialization makes for many escape characters
-    # and lots of unnecessary fields... there has to be a way to do this with DRF
-    #floors = serializers.SerializerMethodField('get_building_floors')
+    class Meta:
+        model = Building
+        fields = ('url', 'name', 'neighbourhood', 'campus',)
+        extra_kwargs = {
+            'url': {'view_name': 'api_detail_building', 'lookup_field': 'building_name'}
+        }
+
 
-    def get_building_floors(self, building):
-        floors = serialize('json', Floor.objects.filter(building=building),
-                           fields=('number'))
-        return floors
+class BuildingFloorListSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
+    floors = FloorNumSerializer(source='floor_set', many=True)
 
     class Meta:
         model = Building
-        fields = ('name', 'neighbourhood', 'campus')
+        fields = ('name', 'neighbourhood', 'campus', 'floors')
 
 
 class FloorSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
 
     building = serializers.SerializerMethodField('get_building_name')
-    #rooms = serializers.SerializerMethodField('get_floor_room')
+
+    rooms = RoomNumSerializer(source='room_set', many=True)
 
     def get_building_name(self, floor):
         return floor.building.name
 
-    def get_floor_rooms(self, floor):
-        rooms = serialize('json', Room.objects.filter(floor=floor),
-                          fields=('number'))
-        return rooms
-
     class Meta:
         model = Floor
-        fields = ('number', 'building')
+        fields = ('number', 'building', 'rooms')
 
 
 class RoomSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):

roomlist/api/views.py

@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ from rest_framework.response import Response
 # imports from your apps
 from housing.models import Building, Floor, Room
 from accounts.models import Major
-from .serializers import (BuildingSerializer, FloorSerializer, RoomSerializer,
+from .serializers import (BuildingSerializer, BuildingFloorListSerializer,
+                          FloorSerializer, RoomSerializer,
                           MajorSerializer)
 
 
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ class BuildingList(ListAPIView):
 class BuildingRetrieve(RetrieveAPIView):
     model = Building
     queryset = Building.objects.all()
-    serializer_class = BuildingSerializer
+    serializer_class = BuildingFloorListSerializer
     lookup_field = 'building_name'