Django manytomany custom relationship order by middle id table

Question

Model:

class Person(models.Model):
   friends= models.ManyToManyField("self", blank=True, null=True)


friends = person.friends.order_by('friends__id')[:5]

I also tried

friends = Person.objects.filter(friends=obj).order_by('-friends__id')[:5]

I need friends to be ordered using the middle table identifier (pk).

Answer 1

Use a staging table directly and is no longer required.

friends = [pf.to_person for pf in 
    person.friends.through.objects.filter(from_person=person)
    .select_related('to_person')
    .order_by('pk')]

Or you need to write raw SQL in the order part.

person.friends.order_by(person.friends.through._meta.db_table+'.id')

Answer 2

friends = person.friends.order_by('pk')

In [20]: [f.pk for f in p.friends.order_by('-pk')]
Out[20]: [3, 2]

In [21]: p.pk
Out[21]: 1

In [22]: [f.pk for f in p.friends.order_by('pk')]
Out[22]: [2, 3]