Django use datetime.date() as input for DateField to achieve past date input

Question

I have a simple model where I want to input a past date as the DateField in the model.

import datetime

class BalanceSheet(models.Model): 

     ticker = models.ForeignKey(Security, on_delete=models.CASCADE, related_name="balance_sheet")

     date = models.DateField(default=datetime.date)

but I receive the following error when trying to add a record in the admin panel

TypeError at /admin/financials/balancesheet/add/
function missing required argument 'year' (pos 1)
Request Method: GET
Request URL:    http://localhost:8000/admin/financials/balancesheet/add/
Django Version: 3.1
Exception Type: TypeError
Exception Value:    
function missing required argument 'year' (pos 1)
Exception Location: /usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py, line 831, in get_default
Python Executable:  /usr/local/bin/python
Python Version: 3.7.8
Python Path:    
['/code',
 '/usr/local/lib/python37.zip',
 '/usr/local/lib/python3.7',
 '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/lib-dynload',
 '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages']
Server time:    Sun, 09 Aug 2020 11:40:48 +0000

Answer 1

The default you are passing requires an argument, that is why you are getting the error. if you pass datetime.date.today you can alter the date to a previous date once the record has been created.

Try to replace

 ...
 date = models.DateField(default=datetime.date)

with:

import datetime

...
date = models.DateField(default=datetime.date.today)

---

Or:

from datetime import datetime

...    
date = models.DateField(default=datetime.now)