Summary

In this chapter, we learned how to represent data in text files. These can be used to manually import data into Odoo or include it in add-on modules as default or demonstration data.

At this point, we should be able to export and import CSV data files from the web interface and leverage external IDs to detect and update records that already exist in the database. They can also be used to perform a mass edit on data, by editing and reimporting a CSV file that has been exported from Odoo.

We also learned about how XML data files are structured, and all the features they provide, in more detail. These were not only set values on fields but also actions such as deleting records and calling model methods.

In the next chapter, we will focus on how to use records to work with the data contained in models. This will give us the necessary tools to then implement our application's business logic and rules.