iterating through a Django model field produces unwanted format - django-models

Question

Python3.4 Django1.9 Noob here... :)
I am trying to loop through a Django field but am not getting the desired results, here's the picture:
the models field "info" can hold strings and in some cases python lists. My issue in this case is when it's a list and I have to iterate through it...
e.g.:
say the "info" field has something like this: ['2016-02-23', '2016-03-01'] and I try to loop through it on the Django1.9 template like this:
{% for i in dates %} {{i}}<br /> {% endfor %}
I expect to see something like this:
2016-02-23
2016-03-01
instead I get this:
[
'
2
0
1
6
-
0
2
-
2
3
'
,
'
2
0
1
6
-
0
3
-
0
1
'
]
which makes me think the mySQL field holding the data is fooling me into thinking this is a python list... my ability to change the format of the database field are limited... any help would be appreciated!
models.py
class Events(....
info = models.CharField(max_length=150, blank=True)
views.py
dates_list = []
obj_dates = Events.objects.filter(id=id)
for i in obj_dates:
dates_list.append(i.info)
context = {"dates": dates_list)
Django 1.9 template
{% for i in dates %} {{i}} {% endfor %}

Answer 1

just looking at your code
obj_dates = Events.objects.filter(id=id)
is only going to get you one entry (as you are filtering by id) - you are returning a queryset with only one object.
When you use:
for i in obj_dates:
dates_list.append(i.info)
you are appending a string "['2016-02-23', '2016-03-01']"
to dates_list. That is to say that dates_list is just a list containing a single string - it appears to be a list containing a list but it is a list containing a string.
in python strings are iterable, so the template is iterating through one character in the string at a time, thus returning you
[
'
2
...
Solutions
A. The hacky way
dates_list.append(list(i.info))
that will convert that string "['2016-02-23', '2016-03-01']" into a list
B. a more django-ish approach
Ask yourself can you store dates in a better fashion that as text in a charfield?
One way to do it is to use a dateField then use m2m so you can store multiple dates.
class Events(models.Model)
info = models.CharField(max_length=150, blank=True)
dates = models.ManyToManyField(Dates, related_name='events', blank=True)
class Dates(models.Model)
date = models.DateField(auto_now=False, auto_now_add=False)

Answer 2

Thanks to luke_aus for the help!
I also found something that could work in some cases...
If you see yourself in a situation having to unpack or loop through a Python list stored in a CharField, try this... it worked very well in my case...
Views.py
import ast
date_list = []
for i in obj:
l = {
'dates': ast.literal_eval(i.info), # i.info is a CharField containing a python list
}
dates_list.append(l)
Template
{% for d in dates %}
{{d}}<br>
{% endfor %}
2016-02-23
2016-03-01