odoo-architecture-overview

name	Odoo Architecture Overview
description	Learn about Odoo's Multitier architecture, Module structure, and Editions.

Odoo Architecture Overview

Multitier Architecture

Odoo uses a three-tier architecture:

1. Presentation Tier: HTML5, JavaScript, CSS (and the OWL framework).
2. Logic Tier: Python (Server).
3. Data Tier: PostgreSQL (RDBMS).

Odoo Modules

Modules are the core building blocks of Odoo. They can:

• Add new business logic.
• Extend existing logic.
• Be packaged as Apps (user-facing) or Addons (libraries/utils).
• Be located in directories specified by the --addons-path command-line option.

Module Composition

A module can contain:

• Business Objects: Python classes (models) mapped to DB tables via ORM.
• Object Views: XML/JS definitions for the UI.
• Data Files: XML/CSV for initial data, configuration, security rules, reports.
• Web Controllers: Handle HTTP requests.
• Static Assets: Images, CSS, JS.

Module Structure

A typical module directory structure:

module_name/
├── models/
│   ├── *.py
│   └── __init__.py
├── views/
│   └── *.xml
├── data/
│   └── *.xml
├── __init__.py
└── __manifest__.py

• __init__.py: Makes the directory a Python package and imports sub-packages/modules.
• __manifest__.py: Declares the module, its dependencies, and metadata.

Odoo Editions

• Community: Open Source, core features.
• Enterprise: Proprietary, extra features/apps (studio, mobile, upstream accounting, etc.) on top of Community.