How to externally populate a Django model?

Question

What is the best idea to fill up data into a Django model from an external source?

E.g. I have a model Run, and runs data in an XML file, which changes weekly.

Should I create a view and call that view URL from a curl cronjob (with the advantage that that data can be read anytime, not only when the cronjob runs), or create a python script and install that script as a cron (with DJANGO _SETTINGS _MODULE variable setup before executing the script)?

Answer 1

There is excellent way to do some maintenance-like jobs in project environment- write a custom manage.py command. It takes all environment configuration and other stuff allows you to concentrate on concrete task.

And of course call it directly by cron.