The Technical Menu in Odoo

The technical menu can be found on the settings page and it is visible only in developer mode. The menu contains more than 16 sections, some of which are visible only if a particular application is installed. For example, the “Calendar” section is shown only if the “Calendar” module is installed.

Instead of going over all options available in the menu, We will try to provide a broad understanding of the types of configuration options and data that can be found there. This way will be more clear where to look the next time when need to find a specific setting or data in the system.

Organization

The submenus in the Technical menu are typically organized into well-named sections that make it intuitive for users to find the appropriate submenu. The available sections may differ based on the installed modules, but the following are commonly found:

  • Discuss
  • Email
  • Phone / SMS
  • Actions
  • IAP
  • User Interface
  • Database Structure
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Sequences & Identifiers
  • Parameters
  • Privacy
  • Resources
  • Calendar

While many of the sections in the menu are self-explanatory, some may require more attention. Therefore, we will focus on those and provide a brief overview of them.

  • IAP: Odoo offers different types of In-App purchases which can be configured from this section.
  • User Interface: This part is reserved for the data and the options related to the user interface, such as the Views, Menus, User Tours, User-defined filters etc.
  • Data Stricture: As the name suggests, in this section can be found information about the data structure which includes the data models, fields, relations, attachments, and more.
  • Automation: This section contains submenus linked to automating processes in the system, such as: scheduling actions that run automatically on a predefined schedule or automated actions based on specific conditions.
  • Reporting: From this section, can be accessed all printable reports as well as the different paper formats for them
  • Sequences & Identifiers: This section contains the submenu with sequences, which lists all the available sequences in the system, such as the numbering for different type of orders. From there can be edited existing sequences or created new ones. Also, this section contains all external XML ids related to any data in the system.
  • Parameters: In this part of the menu are stored general system parameters and settings, as well as company property data that can vary per company. For example, a product may have a different cost price depending on whether it is assigned to Company A or Company B.
  • Privacy: This is where the “Record Rules” and “Access Rights” can be found. For more details about the security system in Odoo we would suggest checking the tutorial "Overview of the security system in Odoo".
  • Resources: In this section, can be found data and configurations related to different resources in the system.

Features

The features that the Technical menu provides, similar to the features in the Developer Mode, can be divided into two main groups:

  • Configuration settings and
  • Data overview and modification

Configuration Settings

The Technical menu contains a wide range of system configuration options. Here are some of them:

  • Setting up Outgoing and Incoming email servers
  • Creating or modifying email and SMS templates
  • Creating or updating scheduled actions that will be executed on a predefined period
  • Creating different automation actions based on conditions.
  • Configuring the "System Parameters." Some of these parameters are also available for editing in a more user-friendly format from other parts of the system.
  • Configuring company resources
  • Setting up different In-App Purchase (IAP) accounts

Data overview and modification

In addition to the system configuration options, the Technical menu also provides access to and an overview of important data in the system. This makes it easier to understand the system and manage it directly from the user interface. The data available in the Technical menu can be divided into two main categories:

  • Technical data
  • Functional data

Technical Data

Technical data refers to the data that is crucial for the proper functioning of the system. The submenus that hold some of the most important technical data are:

  • Models: This submenu provides an overview of the data models defined in the system, along with information about their attributes, related fields, access rights, record rules, and views.
  • Fields: This view lists all the fields specified in the system. It is particularly helpful when the name of the field is known, but the model is not. For each field the​re can be found information about its related attributes.
  • Views: It contains all the available XML views and provides information about their definition and related attributes. Under the view definition, are specified all the fields that need to be shown in the view, their placement as well as additional attributes. Using the attributes can be applied different rules for the elements in the view, for example, they can make a field required, visible or hidden, read-only or editable, etc.
  • Actions: They define the behavior of the system in response to the user's actions. In Odoo there are several different types of actions including "Window Actions", "Server Actions", “Client Actions”, "URL Actions", "Report Actions", and “Automated Actions”. For most of these actions are available separate submenus
  • Menus: All the menus defined in the system can be found in this submenu. The menus usually trigger an action in the system which depending on its type can open a particular view or trigger some other part of the application
  • Access Rights and Record rules: These are essential components of Odoo's security system and ensure that each user can only see the data that corresponds to their profile.

It is important to note that the “Models” and “Fields” cannot be edited from the user interface, while the changes done to the “Views”, “Actions”, and “Menus“ might be overridden when the module is updated. However, the Access Rights and Record Rules can be edited, and their updates will be permanent in most cases.

Functional Data

The functional data available from the Technical menu includes data created by the users and the system as a result of user actions. Here are some examples of such data:

  • Messages: All different types of messages created in the system are listed in this view.
  • Followers: The view provides a complete overview of all followers related to all models in the system.
  • Emails: All sent and scheduled emails can be found here. However, it should be noted that if the "Auto Delete" option is selected in the email template used for the email, it will be auto-deleted once sent.
  • Activities: This view lists all existing activities created by the users in the system.
  • Attachments: All attachments created in the system can be found in this view.
  • Identifiers: All external XML ids which are related to data in the system are listed under this submenu.
  • User-defined filters: All custom filters saved from the user interface can be found in this view.

Conclusion

The technical menu is divided into multiple sections. It contains different configuration options and important data related to different aspects of the system. The data that can be found in this menu can be divided into two main categories: Technical data and Functional data. Technical data is essential for the proper functioning of the system and is largely created from the codebase. Functional data, on the other hand, is generated by users or the system as a result of user actions. Some of the key submenus with Technical data include Models, Fields, Views, Actions, Menus, Access Rights, and Record Rules, each providing insights into specific technical aspects of the system.