In Odoo, ir.sequence is a model used to generate unique and structured numbers, commonly for documents such as invoices, orders, or custom records. These sequences help maintain readable, consistent, and traceable references.
📌 When to Use Custom Sequences?
- Generating unique numbers for custom models (e.g., customer.ticket, asset.tag)
- Adding prefixes or date-based formatting to identifiers
- Ensuring sequence continuity across companies or configurations
🛠 Step-by-Step: Define a Custom Sequence for a Model
1. Define a Sequence Record in XML
<record id=”seq_customer_ticket” model=”ir.sequence”>
<field name=”name”>Customer Ticket Sequence</field>
<field name=”code”>customer.ticket</field>
<field name=”prefix”>TIC/%(year)s/</field>
<field name=”padding”>5</field>
<field name=”number_next”>1</field>
<field name=”number_increment”>1</field>
<field name=”use_date_range”>False</field>
</record>
- code: A unique identifier used to call the sequence
- prefix: Can include date variables like %(year)s, %(month)s
- padding: Number of digits (e.g., 00001)
- use_date_range: If set to True, the sequence restarts monthly/yearly
2. Use It in Your Model’s create() Method
from odoo import models, fields, api
class CustomerTicket(models.Model):
_name = ‘customer.ticket’
_description = ‘Customer Ticket’
name = fields.Char(string=‘Ticket Number’, required=True, copy=False, readonly=True, default=’New‘)
subject = fields.Char(string=’Subject‘)
@api.model
def create(self, vals):
if vals.get(‘name’, ‘New’) == ‘New’:
vals[‘name’] = self.env[‘ir.sequence’].next_by_code(‘customer.ticket’) or ‘/’
return super(CustomerTicket, self).create(vals)
- If no custom name is provided, it auto-generates one using the defined sequence.
- next_by_code(‘customer.ticket’) fetches the next number in the sequence.
🔄 Example Output
🔐 Multi-Company / Date Range Sequences
- Sequences can be company-specific by setting the company_id.
- Enable date ranges to reset yearly (e.g., invoice sequences).
✅ Summary Table
Feature |
ir.sequence Capability |
| Custom prefix | ✅ Yes (%(year)s, %(month)s) |
| Padding (e.g., 00001) | ✅ Yes |
| Per-company support | ✅ Yes |
| Date-based reset | ✅ Yes (use_date_range=True) |
| API Usage | next_by_code(code) |
