model - New to extending Django user profiles, Need help creating a contacts/phone numbers list for each user in the database -

i'm bit new django , far been working simple database/model configurations. i'm beginning run against limitations. need add list of contacts individual users stores collection of names , phone numbers. see no way of doing userprofile model have created other storing whole list string or deserialized json in single char or text field (yuck).

for example have model:

class userprofile(models.model):     user = models.onetoonefield(user)      #persional informaiton     height                  = models.charfield(max_length=24, blank=false,null=true)     weight                  = models.charfield(max_length=24, blank=false,null=true)     birthday                = models.charfield(max_length=24, blank=false,null=true)      ###this field need add!!       #contacts       contact_list            = models.somekindoffield() #could contain either array or json??         class meta:         managed = true         db_table = 'user_profiles'          user.profile = property(lambda u: userprofile.objects.get_or_create(user=u)[0]) 

are there other ways of doing this? have thought of creating table each user "name" , "phone" columns started wonder if nightmare manage.

i doing little research using models.foreignkey(user) never quite grasped implementation of it.

any pointers here appreciated! thanks.

if you're looking in standard relational db way, there few options.

1. add contact model name , phone number attributes , foreignkey userprofile. allow user_profile.contact_set.all(). or instead of fk use manytomany if want multiple users able share contacts.
2. if want phone numbers associated user or user profile records, user's contact list other users instead of assorted phone numbers , names, add phone_number attribute userprofile model. contact_list = models.manytomanyfield('self'). see docs: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/models/fields/#django.db.models.manytomanyfield.symmetrical

alternatively, if don't want worry more model relationships , you're using postgres, can use hstore, allows store dictionary fields. see https://github.com/djangonauts/django-hstore actual documentation on how works.