odoo_saas_development

Odoo Online (SaaS) / Importable Modules Skill

Use this skill when developing importable (data) modules — custom Odoo modules that contain no custom Python business logic and can be deployed on managed/SaaS instances like Odoo.com.

Key Constraint

SaaS instances do not allow arbitrary Python code. Everything that would normally be a Python class, method, or field definition must instead be expressed as XML data records. JavaScript files are allowed.

Before Building: The Logic Budget

A data-only module is worth building only while the database stays simple. Logic expressed as records — server actions, automation rules, sandboxed computes and constraints, crons, ir.model / ir.model.fields records standing in for a Python class — is budgeted at 10 hours of development, unless the analysis or the prompt states another figure.

What a developer would have written identically on Odoo.sh does not count: views and QWeb, reports, SCSS, JavaScript and OWL. A rich interface on a light database is what this hosting is for.

Over the budget, or where a requirement needs a workaround rather than an implementation — a chain of automation rules standing in for one override, a cron polling for what an override would catch, a standard button rebound to a server action, standard behaviour reimplemented because the method cannot be reached — stop and ask whether to move the development to Odoo.sh before writing any of it. Show the logic total, the workarounds and what Odoo.sh would allow instead; the hosting is the developer's call. The odoo_task_analysis skill carries the same rule for the analysis that precedes the build.

Module Structure

my_module
├── actions/      *.xml  — server actions, window actions
├── models/       *.xml  — ir.model + ir.model.fields records (named after the model, e.g. `product_template.xml`)
├── security/     ir.model.access.csv, *_security.xml
├── views/        *.xml  — UI views
├── static/src/js *.js   — JavaScript (OWL components, tours, etc.)
├── __init__.py          — empty, required for classic addons-path installs
└── __manifest__.py      — standard manifest; models listed in `data`

__init__.py is empty. data files must be listed in dependency order (models before views).

Deploying

Via UI: zip the module → Apps → Import Module (requires developer mode + base_import_module installed).

Upload options:

Force init: re-runs noupdate="1" records
Import demo data: imports demo records

Via CLI:

odoo-bin deploy <path_to_module> https://<instance> --login <user> --password <pass> [--force]

The deploying user needs Administration/Settings rights.

Changing a field's type after first deploy is not supported — easiest fix is a fresh DB or uninstall first.

Naming Rules

All custom models must be prefixed with x_ and use underscores only (no dots): x_my_model
All custom fields must be prefixed: x_my_field

Defining Models

Models are ir.model records:

<record id="model_estate_property" model="ir.model">
    <field name="name">Real Estate Property</field>
    <field name="model">x_estate_property</field>
</record>

Odoo auto-adds: id, create_date, create_uid, write_date, write_uid.

Defining Fields

Fields are ir.model.fields records:

<record id="field_estate_property_name" model="ir.model.fields">
    <field name="model_id" ref="my_module.model_estate_property"/>
    <field name="name">x_name</field>
    <field name="field_description">Name</field>
    <field name="ttype">char</field>
    <field name="required">True</field>
</record>

Common ttype values: char, integer, float, boolean, date, datetime, html, text, many2one, many2many, one2many, selection, binary.

Key optional attributes: required, readonly, index, copied, translate, help.

Default Values

Use ir.default records (static only — no dynamic defaults like "today"):

<record id="default_estate_selling_price" model="ir.default">
    <field name="field_id" ref="my_module.field_estate_property_selling_price"/>
    <field name="json_value">100000</field>
</record>

Optionally scoped with user_id or company_id.

Relational Fields

Many2one

<record id="field_estate_property_partner_id" model="ir.model.fields">
    <field name="model_id" ref="my_module.model_estate_property"/>
    <field name="name">x_partner_id</field>
    <field name="field_description">Customer</field>
    <field name="ttype">many2one</field>
    <field name="relation">res.partner</field>
    <!-- optional: ondelete, domain -->
</record>

Many2many

Same as many2one but ttype = many2many. Optional: relation_table, column1, column2 (only needed when multiple m2m exist between the same two models).

One2many

Same as many2one but ttype = one2many. Requires relation_field (the m2o field on the child model).

Computed Fields

Stored by default. Use depends + compute with a CDATA block. Sandbox provides datetime, dateutil, time plus Python builtins. No imports, no OS access, no print. Use dict assignment, not dot assignment:

<record id="field_estate_property_total_area" model="ir.model.fields">
    <field name="model_id" ref="my_module.model_estate_property"/>
    <field name="name">x_total_area</field>
    <field name="field_description">Total Area</field>
    <field name="ttype">float</field>
    <field name="depends">x_living_area,x_garden_area</field>
    <field name="compute"><![CDATA[
for property in self:
    property['x_total_area'] = property.x_living_area + property.x_garden_area
]]></field>
</record>

Set store="False" to disable storage; readonly="True" to prevent editing.

Related Fields

Mirror a value through a many2one chain using the related attribute:

<record id="field_estate_property_country_id" model="ir.model.fields">
    <field name="model_id" ref="my_module.model_estate_property"/>
    <field name="name">x_country_id</field>
    <field name="field_description">Buyer's Country</field>
    <field name="ttype">many2one</field>
    <field name="relation">res.country</field>
    <field name="related">x_partner_id.country_id</field>
</record>

Server Actions (Business Logic)

Code-type server actions run in a sandbox. Available globals: env, model, user, uid, record, records, datetime, dateutil, timezone, time, float_compare, b64encode, b64decode, Command.

To return a client action assign to action; for website assign to response.

<record id="action_estate_refuse_offers" model="ir.actions.server">
    <field name="name">Refuse all offers</field>
    <field name="model_id" ref="my_module.model_estate_property"/>
    <field name="state">code</field>
    <field name="code"><![CDATA[
for property in records:
    property.x_offer_ids.write({'x_status': 'refused'})
]]></field>
</record>

Binding to a button in a view

<button name="my_module.action_estate_refuse_offers" type="action" string="Refuse All Offers"/>

Binding to the gear icon (⚙)

Set binding_model_id and binding_view_types (tree, form, or both) on the server action record.

Overriding Standard Modules

Via UI replacement

Replace a button's type="object" call with a type="action" that calls your server action, which then calls the original method before/after your custom logic:

<record id="view_sale_order_form_estate" model="ir.ui.view">
    <field name="inherit_id" ref="sale.view_order_form"/>
    <field name="model">sale.order</field>
    <field name="arch" type="xml">
        <xpath expr="//button[@name='action_confirm'][@type='object']" position="attributes">
            <attribute name="type">action</attribute>
            <attribute name="name">my_module.action_create_property_from_sale</attribute>
        </xpath>
    </field>
</record>

Via Automation Rules (preferred for lifecycle events)

More robust than UI replacement — fires even when the event is triggered by portal, API, etc. Requires base_automation in module dependencies.

<record id="automation_create_property_on_sale_confirm" model="base.automation">
    <field name="name">Create property on sale confirm</field>
    <field name="model_id" ref="sale.model_sale_order"/>
    <field name="trigger">on_state_set</field>
    <field name="trg_selection_field_id" ref="sale.selection__sale_order__state__sale"/>
    <field name="trigger_field_ids" eval="[(4, ref('sale.field_sale_order__state'))]"/>
    <field name="action_server_ids" eval="[(4, ref('my_module.action_create_property_from_sale'))]"/>
</record>

Website Controllers

When website is installed, server actions can act as HTTP endpoints:

<record id="server_action_estate_list" model="ir.actions.server">
    <field name="name">Estate List Controller</field>
    <field name="model_id" ref="my_module.model_estate_property"/>
    <field name="website_published">True</field>
    <field name="website_path">estate</field>   <!-- full path: /website/action/estate -->
    <field name="state">code</field>
    <field name="code"><![CDATA[
properties = request.env['x_estate_property'].search([])
response = request.make_json_response([{'name': p.x_name} for p in properties])
]]></field>
</record>

Useful request methods: get_http_params(), get_json_data(), render(xmlid, qcontext), redirect(url), not_found(), make_response(data), make_json_response(data).

The server action's model_id must be readable by the public user, or the action returns 403. Link to ir.filters as a workaround if needed.

JavaScript / OWL Components

JS files are fully supported. No glob patterns — list every file explicitly in the manifest:

"assets": {
    "web.assets_backend": [
        "my_module/static/src/js/my_component.js",
    ],
},

Onboarding Tours

static/src/js/tour.js:

import { registry } from "@web/core/registry";
registry.category("web_tour.tours").add('my_tour', {
  url: "/web",
  steps: () => [{
    trigger: '.o_app[data-menu-xmlid="my_module.menu_root"]',
    content: 'Welcome to the app!',
  }],
});

<record id="my_tour" model="web_tour.tour">
    <field name="name">my_tour</field>
    <field name="sequence">2</field>
    <field name="rainbow_man_message">You made it!</field>
</record>

Known Limitations

Feature	Status
Custom Python classes/methods	Not allowed
Importing Python libraries	Not allowed
Dynamic default values (e.g., "today")	Not allowed
Changing a field type after deploy	Not supported
Glob patterns in assets	Not supported
Arbitrary OS/file access in sandbox	Not allowed
`print()` in sandbox	Not allowed
Dot assignment in compute (`self.x_field = v`)	Not allowed — use `self['x_field'] = v`