found errors with earlier version, with Posting and the image. this should have fixed it

widget_group22/forum/forms.py

 from django import forms
 from .models import Post
-
+import os
+from django.db import models
+"""
+def path_and_rename(instance,filename):
+    upload_to="forum\\static\\images"
+    ext='png'
+    if instance.pk:
+        filename='{}.{}'.format(instance.pk,ext)
+    #print(os.path.join(upload_to,filename))
+    return os.path.join(upload_to,filename)
+"""
 class addPostsForm(forms.ModelForm):
     post_title = forms.CharField(label='Title:')
     post_body = forms.CharField(label="Post",widget=forms.Textarea(attrs={'rows':'20','cols':'150'}))
+    #photo=models.ImageField(upload_to=path_and_rename,null=True,blank=True)
     class Meta:
         model = Post
         fields = '__all__'

widget_group22/forum/migrations/0009_alter_post_photo.py

+# Generated by Django 4.0.3 on 2022-05-21 13:29
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+import forum.models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('forum', '0008_post_photo'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='post',
+            name='photo',
+            field=models.ImageField(blank=True, null=True, upload_to=forum.models.path_and_rename),
+        ),
+    ]

widget_group22/forum/models.py

@@ -2,13 +2,20 @@ from django.db import models
 from homepage.models import WidgetUser
 import os
 import datetime
+#from .models import Post
 
 def path_and_rename(instance,filename):
+    #all_posts = models.Post.objects.order_by("-id")
     upload_to="forum\\static\\images"
-    ext='png'
     if instance.pk:
+        
+        ext='png'
+    #instance = all_posts[0]
+    
         filename='{}.{}'.format(instance.pk,ext)
     #print(os.path.join(upload_to,filename))
+    else:
+        print("------")
     return os.path.join(upload_to,filename)
 
 #class date(models.Model):
@@ -20,7 +27,7 @@ class Post(models.Model):
     pub_date = models.DateField(auto_now_add=True)
     author = models.ForeignKey(WidgetUser, on_delete=models.CASCADE, default = None)
     post_body = models.CharField(max_length=100000)
-    photo=models.ImageField(upload_to=path_and_rename,null=True,blank=True, default=None)
+    photo=models.ImageField(upload_to=path_and_rename,null=True,blank=True)
     def __str__(self):
         return'{}: {}'.format(self.post_title,self.pub_date)
 
@@ -35,3 +42,4 @@ class Reply(models.Model):
             return 'Reply to ({} | {}) by {} - {}... | {}'.format(self.post.post_title,self.post.pub_date, self.author, self.reply_body[0:50],self.pub_date)
         else:
             return 'Reply to ({} | {}) by {} - {} | {}'.format(self.post.post_title,self.post.pub_date, self.author, self.reply_body,self.pub_date)
+

widget_group22/forum/templates/forum/addforumposts.html

@@ -3,18 +3,20 @@
 {% block content %}
     <h1><center>New Forum Post</center></h1>
     <a href = "/forum/" style="background-color:whitesmoke;border:2px solid black;">Back to main Forum</a>
-    <button class="button" type="submit">Save Post</button>
-    <form action="{% url 'forum:addForumPosts' %}" method="POST">
+    
+    <form action="{% url 'forum:addForumPosts' %}" method="POST" enctype="multipart/form-data">
         {% csrf_token %}
         <center>Title:{{addposts.post_title}} 
     <br>
         Author: {{addposts.author}} {{addposts.pub_date}}</center>
+        Optional: {{addposts.photo}}
         <br>
         <p6 style="background-color:aquamarine;">Post Body:</p6>
         <center style="background-color: aquamarine;">{{addposts.post_body}}</center>
         <br>
-        Optional: Add Photo
-        {{addposts.photo}}
+        <button class="button" type="submit">Save Post</button>
+        
+
     </form>
     
 {% endblock %}
\ No newline at end of file

widget_group22/forum/templates/forum/forum.html

@@ -4,15 +4,16 @@
     <center><h1>This is Widget's Forum!</h1></center>
     
     <h3>Forum Posts:</h3>
+    <form action="/posts/add/">
+        <input type="submit" value="New Forum Post"/>
+    </form>
     <h4>
     {% for posts in all_posts %}
         <ul><li><a href="/posts/{{ posts.id }}/details">'{{posts.post_title}}'</a> by <i>{{posts.author.first_name}} {{posts.author.last_name}}</i> 
         dated {{posts.pub_date|date:'d/m/Y'}}</li></ul>
     {% endfor %}
     </h4>
-    <form action="/posts/add/">
-        <input type="submit" value="New Forum Post"/>
-    </form>
+    
     <left><img src="../../static/images/twopeopletalking.jpg" alt="people talking" style="width:450px;float:left;"></left>
     <center><img src="../../static/images/forum.PNG" align="left" alt="people bubbes" style="width:450px;;margin-left:20px;"></center>
     <right><img src="../../static/images/teachingstudents.jpg" alt="teacher teaching" style="width:450px;float:right;">

widget_group22/forum/views.py

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from .forms import addPostsForm
 from django.views import View
 from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
 from django.views.generic.list import ListView
+from django.core.files.storage import FileSystemStorage
 
 class forumposts(View):
     def get(self, request):
@@ -33,12 +34,32 @@ def DisplayPostdetails(request, post_id):
     return render(request, "forum/details.html", context)
 
 def addForumPosts(request):
+    post = Post.objects.order_by("-id")
     if request.method == 'POST':
+        if request.FILES:
+            file = request.FILES['photo']
+            #print("on creation id:",post[0].id+1)
+            file.name = '{}.{}'.format((post[0].pk)+1,'png')
+            #print(file.name)
+            form = addPostsForm(request.POST,(request.FILES))
+        if not(request.FILES):
             form = addPostsForm(request.POST)
         if form.is_valid():
-            new_post = form.save()
+            form.save()
             return redirect("forum:addForumPosts")
     else:
         form = addPostsForm()
     return render(request, "forum/addforumposts.html",{"addposts":form})
 
+#NOTE: WHAT IS HAPPENING
+#Because there are two request objects, Post which contain the post details,
+#and files which typically contain the additional image,
+#when it goes to model.py to do changing of extension and path, it will not
+#carry request.POST with request.FILES, leaving files with an instance of NONE
+#making it not work. 
+#instead what i did is in this section, in forumposts, I will name the image according to 
+#the id of the last recorded object. 
+#LIMITATION: If the recent object is deleted, django's built-in ID system will continue since it
+#is not editable. The image however will still be based on the last known object. 
+#SOLUTION: make temp object. do not delete temp object immediately. create actual object. then may delete temp. 
+#I have kept the changing in model.py, in case of admin page inputs.
\ No newline at end of file