python 3.x - context in nested serializers django rest framework

Question

If i have a nested serializer:

class ChildSerializer(ModelSerializer):
    class Meta:
        fields = ('c_name', )
        model = Child


class ParentSerializer(ModelSerializer):

    child = ChildSerializer(many=True, read_only=True)

    class Meta:
        model = Parent
        fields = ('p_name', 'child')

And i want to access the context in the nested serializer, how can i do that? As far as i can tell, context isn't passed to the Child.

I want to be able to implement a permission model per user on fields, for that i overridden the get_fields() method of the ModelSerializer:

def get_fields(self):
    fields = super().get_fields()
    ....
    for f in fields:
        if has_rights(self.context['request'].user, f, "read"):
            ret_val[f] = fields[f]
    ....
    return ret_val

Which works for regular serializers, but the context, and thus the request and user are not available when the nested child is passed to get_fields(). How do i access the context when the serializer is nested?

Answer 1

Ok i found a working solution. I replaced the ChildSerializer assignment in the Parent class with a SerializerMethodField which adds the context. This is then passed to the get_fields method in my CustomModelSerializer:

class ChildSerializer(CustomModelSerializer):
    class Meta:
        fields = ('c_name', )
        model = Child


class ParentSerializer(CustomModelSerializer):

    child = serializers.SerializerMethodField('get_child_serializer')

    class Meta:
        model = Parent
        fields = ('p_name', 'child')

    def get_child_serializer(self, obj):
        serializer_context = {'request': self.context.get('request') }
        children = Child.objects.all().filter(parent=obj)
        serializer = ChildSerializer(children, many=True, context=serializer_context)
        return serializer.data

and in my CustomModelSerializer:

class CustomModelSerializer(rest_serializer_classes.HyperlinkedModelSerializer):

    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        """
            Make sure a user is coupled to the serializer (needed for permissions)
        """
        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
        if not self.context:
            self._context = getattr(self.Meta, 'context', {})
        try:
            self.user = self.context['request'].user
        except KeyError:
            self.user = None


    def get_fields(self):
        ret = OrderedDict()

        if not self.user:
            print("No user associated with object")
            return ret

        fields = super().get_fields()

        # Bypass permission if superuser
        if self.user.is_superuser:
            return fields

        for f in fields:
            if has_right(self.user, self.Meta.model.__name__.lower(), f, "read"):
                ret[f] = fields[f]

        return ret

This seems to work fine, and fields of the child are discarded in the serializer when i either revoke read-rights on Child.c_name or on Parent.child