odoo-migration-helper

Step-by-step guide for migrating Odoo custom modules between versions (v14→v15→v16→v17). Covers API changes, deprecated methods, and view migration.

.agents/skills/odoo-migration-helper Python

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Architectural Overview

Skill Reading

"This module is grounded in ai engineering patterns and exposes 1 core capabilities across 1 execution phases."

Odoo Migration Helper

Overview

Migrating Odoo modules between major versions requires careful handling of API changes, deprecated methods, renamed fields, and new view syntax. This skill guides you through the migration process systematically, covering the most common breaking changes between versions.

When to Use This Skill

Upgrading a custom module from Odoo 14/15/16 to a newer version.
Getting a checklist of things to check before running odoo-upgrade.
Fixing deprecation warnings after a version upgrade.
Understanding what changed between two specific Odoo versions.

How It Works

Activate: Mention @odoo-migration-helper, specify your source and target versions, and paste your module code.
Analyze: Receive a list of breaking changes with before/after code fixes.
Validate: Get a migration checklist specific to your module's features.

Key Migration Changes by Version

Odoo 16 → 17

Topic	Old (v16)	New (v17)
View visibility	`attrs="{'invisible': [...]}"`	`invisible="condition"`
Chatter	`<div class="oe_chatter">`	`<chatter/>`
Required/Readonly	`attrs="{'required': [...]}"`	`required="condition"`
Python minimum	3.10	3.10+
JS modules	Legacy `define(['web.core'])`	ES module `import` syntax

Odoo 15 → 16

Topic	Old (v15)	New (v16)
Website published flag	`website_published = True`	`is_published = True`
Mail aliases	`alias_domain` on company	Moved to `mail.alias.domain` model
Report render	`_render_qweb_pdf()`	`_render_qweb_pdf()` (same, but signature changed)
Accounting move	`account.move.line` grouping	Line aggregation rules updated
Email threading	`mail_thread_id`	Deprecated; use `message_ids`

Examples

Example 1: Migrate `attrs` visibility to Odoo 17

<!-- v16 — domain-based attrs -->
<field name="discount" attrs="{'invisible': [('product_type', '!=', 'service')]}"/>
<field name="discount" attrs="{'required': [('state', '=', 'sale')]}"/>

<!-- v17 — inline Python expressions -->
<field name="discount" invisible="product_type != 'service'"/>
<field name="discount" required="state == 'sale'"/>

Example 2: Migrate Chatter block

<!-- v16 -->
<div class="oe_chatter">
    <field name="message_follower_ids"/>
    <field name="activity_ids"/>
    <field name="message_ids"/>
</div>

<!-- v17 -->
<chatter/>

Example 3: Migrate website_published flag (v15 → v16)

# v15
record.website_published = True

# v16+
record.is_published = True

Best Practices

✅ Do: Test with --update=your_module on each version before pushing to production.
✅ Do: Use the official Odoo Upgrade Guide to get an automated pre-upgrade analysis report.
✅ Do: Check OCA migration notes and the module's HISTORY.rst for community modules.
✅ Do: Run npm run validate after migration to catch manifest or frontmatter issues early.
❌ Don't: Skip intermediate versions — go v14→v15→v16→v17 sequentially; never jump.
❌ Don't: Forget to update version in __manifest__.py (e.g., 17.0.1.0.0).
❌ Don't: Assume OCA modules are migration-ready; check their GitHub branch for the target version.

Limitations

Covers v14 through v17 only — does not address v13 or older (pre-manifest era has fundamentally different module structure).
The Odoo.sh automated upgrade path has additional steps not covered here; refer to Odoo.sh documentation.
Enterprise-specific modules (e.g., account_accountant, sign) may have undocumented breaking changes; test on a staging environment with Enterprise license.
JavaScript OWL component migration (v15 Legacy → v16 OWL) is a complex topic not fully covered by this skill.