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Exclusion/negate filter on API #2855

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opened 2025-12-29 18:22:50 +01:00 by adam · 4 comments
adam commented 2025-12-29 18:22:50 +01:00
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Originally created by @Yannis100 on GitHub (Sep 5, 2019).

I checked the documentation and few links but it looks like there is no support for exclusion filtering?

Environment

  • Python version: 3.6.9
  • NetBox version: 2.5.13

Proposed Functionality

Supports exclusion filtering on the API : eg. /?status!=1

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23208169/negation-or-exclude-filter-in-django-rest-framework
https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/models/querysets/#exclude

Use Case

Filtering for easier external reports, in my case getting all devices that are not in status: active

Database Changes

None I think

External Dependencies

Originally created by @Yannis100 on GitHub (Sep 5, 2019). I checked the documentation and few links but it looks like there is no support for exclusion filtering? <!-- NOTE: This form is only for proposing specific new features or enhancements. If you have a general idea or question, please post to our mailing list instead of opening an issue: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/netbox-discuss NOTE: Due to an excessive backlog of feature requests, we are not currently accepting any proposals which significantly extend NetBox's feature scope. Please describe the environment in which you are running NetBox. Be sure that you are running an unmodified instance of the latest stable release before submitting a bug report. --> ### Environment * Python version: 3.6.9 * NetBox version: 2.5.13 <!-- Describe in detail the new functionality you are proposing. Include any specific changes to work flows, data models, or the user interface. --> ### Proposed Functionality Supports exclusion filtering on the API : eg. /?status!=1 https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23208169/negation-or-exclude-filter-in-django-rest-framework https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/models/querysets/#exclude <!-- Convey an example use case for your proposed feature. Write from the perspective of a NetBox user who would benefit from the proposed functionality and describe how. ---> ### Use Case Filtering for easier external reports, in my case getting all devices that are not in status: active <!-- Note any changes to the database schema necessary to support the new feature. For example, does the proposal require adding a new model or field? (Not all new features require database changes.) ---> ### Database Changes None I think <!-- List any new dependencies on external libraries or services that this new feature would introduce. For example, does the proposal require the installation of a new Python package? (Not all new features introduce new dependencies.) --> ### External Dependencies
adam added the status: acceptedtype: feature labels 2025-12-29 18:22:50 +01:00
adam closed this issue 2025-12-29 18:22:50 +01:00
adam commented 2025-12-29 18:22:50 +01:00
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@jeremystretch commented on GitHub (Oct 15, 2019):

This is only feasible if we can devise a way to dynamically establish inverse filters for each existing filter without duplicating the existing filters.

@jeremystretch commented on GitHub (Oct 15, 2019): This is only feasible if we can devise a way to dynamically establish inverse filters for each existing filter without duplicating the existing filters.
adam commented 2025-12-29 18:22:51 +01:00
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@spolack commented on GitHub (Jan 15, 2020):

I would really love that feature. Currently i'm scraping all the interfaces and filter locally in order to retrieve all LAG members.

Using "/?status!=1" style would be nice, altough pynetbox doesnt seem to have support for this yet. Please also consider adding a magic keyword to the term. Like "/?status=!1" or "/?status!=not 1".

@spolack commented on GitHub (Jan 15, 2020): I would really love that feature. Currently i'm scraping all the interfaces and filter locally in order to retrieve all LAG members. Using "/?status!=1" style would be nice, altough pynetbox doesnt seem to have support for this yet. Please also consider adding a magic keyword to the term. Like "/?status=!1" or "/?status!=not 1".
adam commented 2025-12-29 18:22:51 +01:00
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@hSaria commented on GitHub (Jan 27, 2020):

I've experimented with this for a bit and here are my findings:

  • Applying this globally can be done by creating a class of DjangoFilterBackend and overriding its filter_queryset. Example at the end on how I've achieved this. Changing the filterset_base on this class will not work as it is being overridden by the individual views.
  • Applying this per-filterset is possible by inheriting from a class (e.g. NegateFilterSet) for which the filter_queryset method is adjusted (similar to the global one).
  • After digging into django-rest-framework-filters, I've noticed that it will not work on multivalue fields (i.e. region=europe&region!=germany will negate both europe and germany). Even then, it would still require a change on each filterset such that it inherits from FilterSet of that module (they're using filterset_base on the filter backend but, as explained in the first note, this won't work for us as we override the class an a per-view basis).

Regarding global backend vs per-filterset inheritance, if we have filtersets that shouldn't have negation, it might be better to go with the latter to have more control on which filtersets support it. If all of the filtersets are safe to exclude, then the former is just fine.

Here's the example code for applying negation/exclusion globally (per-view is very similar). You'd throw this is netbox/api.py

from django_filters.rest_framework.backends import DjangoFilterBackend

class APIFilterBackend(DjangoFilterBackend):
    def filter_queryset(self, request, queryset, view):
        qs = super().filter_queryset(request, queryset, view)

        excludes = {param[:-1]: value for param, value in request.query_params.lists() if param[-1] == '!'}
        filterset_class = self.get_filterset_class(view, qs)

        if excludes and filterset_class:
            # Update the data with excludes (other fields are kept in case they are needed in form clean)
            data = request.query_params.copy()
            for name, value in excludes.items():
                data.setlist(name, value)

            filterset = filterset_class(data=data, queryset=qs)

            # Remove redundant filters (i.e. already filtered in super)
            for name in [key for key in filterset.filters if key not in excludes]:
                filterset.filters.pop(name)

            # Invert the filters (the remaining filters are for the excluded fields)
            for name in filterset.filters:
                filterset.filters[name].exclude = not filterset.filters[name].exclude

            qs = filterset.qs

        return qs

and then update netbox/settings.py with:

     'DEFAULT_FILTER_BACKENDS': (
-        'django_filters.rest_framework.DjangoFilterBackend',
+        'netbox.api.APIFilterBackend',
     ),

The above also handles TreeNodeMultipleChoiceFilter. For example, if you had

Regions: EU
         FI, with parent EU
         UK, with parent EU

Sites: eu1 in region EU
       fi1 in region FI
       uk1 in region UK

you can apply filters like /api/dcim/sites/?region=eu&region!=uk which would return sites in EU, but excluding those in UK, or eu1 and fi1.

@hSaria commented on GitHub (Jan 27, 2020): I've experimented with this for a bit and here are my findings: * Applying this globally can be done by creating a class of `DjangoFilterBackend` and overriding its `filter_queryset`. Example at the end on how I've achieved this. Changing the `filterset_base` on this class will not work as it is being overridden by the individual views. * Applying this per-filterset is possible by inheriting from a class (e.g. `NegateFilterSet`) for which the `filter_queryset` method is adjusted (similar to the global one). * After digging into [django-rest-framework-filters](https://github.com/philipn/django-rest-framework-filters), I've noticed that it will not work on multivalue fields (i.e. `region=europe&region!=germany` will negate **both** `europe` and `germany`). Even then, it would still require a change on each filterset such that it inherits from `FilterSet` of that module (they're using `filterset_base` on the filter backend but, as explained in the first note, this won't work for us as we override the class an a per-view basis). Regarding global backend vs per-filterset inheritance, if we have filtersets that shouldn't have negation, it might be better to go with the latter to have more control on which filtersets support it. If all of the filtersets are safe to exclude, then the former is just fine. Here's the example code for applying negation/exclusion globally (per-view is very similar). You'd throw this is `netbox/api.py` ```python from django_filters.rest_framework.backends import DjangoFilterBackend class APIFilterBackend(DjangoFilterBackend): def filter_queryset(self, request, queryset, view): qs = super().filter_queryset(request, queryset, view) excludes = {param[:-1]: value for param, value in request.query_params.lists() if param[-1] == '!'} filterset_class = self.get_filterset_class(view, qs) if excludes and filterset_class: # Update the data with excludes (other fields are kept in case they are needed in form clean) data = request.query_params.copy() for name, value in excludes.items(): data.setlist(name, value) filterset = filterset_class(data=data, queryset=qs) # Remove redundant filters (i.e. already filtered in super) for name in [key for key in filterset.filters if key not in excludes]: filterset.filters.pop(name) # Invert the filters (the remaining filters are for the excluded fields) for name in filterset.filters: filterset.filters[name].exclude = not filterset.filters[name].exclude qs = filterset.qs return qs ``` and then update `netbox/settings.py` with: ```diff 'DEFAULT_FILTER_BACKENDS': ( - 'django_filters.rest_framework.DjangoFilterBackend', + 'netbox.api.APIFilterBackend', ), ``` The above also handles `TreeNodeMultipleChoiceFilter`. For example, if you had ``` Regions: EU FI, with parent EU UK, with parent EU Sites: eu1 in region EU fi1 in region FI uk1 in region UK ``` you can apply filters like `/api/dcim/sites/?region=eu&region!=uk` which would return sites in EU, but excluding those in UK, or `eu1` and `fi1`.
adam commented 2025-12-29 18:22:51 +01:00
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@lampwins commented on GitHub (Feb 9, 2020):

I am closing this as it has been implemented as a part of #4121 in the 4121-filter-lookup-expressions branch.

@lampwins commented on GitHub (Feb 9, 2020): I am closing this as it has been implemented as a part of #4121 in the [4121-filter-lookup-expressions](https://github.com/netbox-community/netbox/tree/4121-filter-lookup-expressions) branch.
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Reference: starred/netbox#2855
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