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Django

Django is a high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. It follows the "batteries-included" philosophy, meaning it comes with a lot of built-in features.

Setting Up Your Environment​

Install Django​

pip install django
python -m venv myenv
source myenv/bin/activate  # On Windows use `myenv\Scripts\activate`

Creating a Django Project​

Start a New Project​

django-admin startproject myproject
cd myproject

Run the Development Server​

python manage.py runserver

Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/ to see the default Django welcome page.

Creating a Django App​

Start a New App​

python manage.py startapp myapp

Add the App to Your Project​

Edit myproject/settings.py and add 'myapp' to the INSTALLED_APPS list.

Defining Models​

Create a Model​

myapp/models.py
from django.db import models

class Item(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    description = models.TextField()

    def __str__(self):
        return self.name

Make and Apply Migrations​

python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate

Creating Views​

Create a View​

myapp/views.py
from django.shortcuts import render
from .models import Item

def index(request):
    items = Item.objects.all()
    return render(request, 'index.html', {'items': items})

Map the View to a URL​

myapp/urls.py
from django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.index, name='index'),
]

Include the app's URLs in the project's URL configuration.

myproject/urls.py
from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import include, path

urlpatterns = [
    path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
    path('', include('myapp.urls')),
]

Creating Templates​

Create a Template Directory​

Create a directory named templates inside myapp.

Create a Template File​

Create index.html inside the templates directory:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Items</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Items</h1>
    <ul>
      {% for item in items %}
      <li>{{ item.name }}: {{ item.description }}</li>
      {% endfor %}
    </ul>
  </body>
</html>

Admin Interface​

Register the Model​

myapp/admin.py
from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Item

admin.site.register(Item)

Create a Superuser​

python manage.py createsuperuser

Access the Admin Interface​

Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/ and log in with the superuser credentials.

Static Files​

Create a Static Directory​

Create a directory named static inside myapp.

Add Static Files​

Place your CSS, JavaScript, and images inside the static directory.

Reference Static Files in Templates​

{% load static %}
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="{% static 'myapp/style.css' %}" />

Forms and Validation​

Create a Form​

myapp/forms.py
from django import forms
from .models import Item

class ItemForm(forms.ModelForm):
    class Meta:
        model = Item
        fields = ['name', 'description']

Use the Form in a View​

myapp/views.py
from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
from .forms import ItemForm

def add_item(request):
    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = ItemForm(request.POST)
        if form.is_valid():
            form.save()
            return redirect('index')
    else:
        form = ItemForm()
    return render(request, 'add_item.html', {'form': form})

Create a Template for the Form​

Create add_item.html inside the templates directory:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Add Item</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Add Item</h1>
    <form method="post">
      {% csrf_token %} {{ form.as_p }}
      <button type="submit">Save</button>
    </form>
  </body>
</html>

Map the Form View to a URL​

myapp/urls.py
urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.index, name='index'),
    path('add/', views.add_item, name='add_item'),
]

Deployment​

Prepare for Deployment​

Make sure your settings.py is configured for production (e.g., DEBUG = False).

Collect Static Files​

python manage.py collectstatic

Choose a Hosting Provider​

Popular choices include Heroku, AWS, and DigitalOcean.

Deploy Your Application​

Follow the specific instructions for your chosen hosting provider.

Resources​