Using Different Schemas in Django

Yes, you can configure Django to create and read tables in a different schema. Your approach of setting the schema in the db_table option is one valid method, particularly for single-database setups.

Approach 1: Using db_table with Schema Name

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from django.db import models

class MyModel(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    
    class Meta:
        db_table = 'your_schema.your_table_name'

This approach works for many database backends that support schema notation in this format.

Approach 2: Using Multiple Databases

For more complex scenarios, you might want to use Django's multiple database support. This allows you to define different databases with different schemas:

1. Configure your databases in settings.py:

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DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
        'NAME': 'default_db',
        'USER': 'user',
        'PASSWORD': 'password',
        'HOST': 'localhost',
        'PORT': '3306',
    },
    'other_schema': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
        'NAME': 'other_db',
        'USER': 'user',
        'PASSWORD': 'password',
        'HOST': 'localhost',
        'PORT': '3306',
        'OPTIONS': {
            'init_command': 'SET default_storage_engine=INNODB',
        }
    }
}

2. Create a custom ModelAdmin to use the other database:

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class MultiDBModelAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    using = "other_schema"

    def save_model(self, request, obj, form, change):
        obj.save(using=self.using)

    def delete_model(self, request, obj):
        obj.delete(using=self.using)

    def get_queryset(self, request):
        return super().get_queryset(request).using(self.using)

    def formfield_for_foreignkey(self, db_field, request, **kwargs):
        return super().formfield_for_foreignkey(
            db_field, request, using=self.using, **kwargs
        )

    def formfield_for_manytomany(self, db_field, request, **kwargs):
        return super().formfield_for_manytomany(
            db_field, request, using=self.using, **kwargs
        )

3. When querying your model, specify the database:

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# Create
MyModel.objects.using('other_schema').create(name='test')

# Read
results = MyModel.objects.using('other_schema').all()

This approach gives you more flexibility, especially if you need to work with multiple schemas or databases.

Choose the approach that best fits your application's complexity and requirements.