Django is a high-level Python web framework that enables rapid development of secure and scalable web applications. It follows the Model-View-Template (MVT) architecture and is known for its “batteries-included” approach, providing built-in features like authentication, database management, and an admin panel.
Why Use Django?
- Fast Development: Django’s structure allows developers to build applications quickly.
- Secure: Protects against security threats like SQL injection and XSS.
- Scalable: Suitable for both small projects and large-scale applications.
- ORM (Object-Relational Mapping): Simplifies database operations.
- Built-in Admin Panel: Auto-generates a dashboard for managing data.
- RESTful API Support: Easily integrate Django with REST frameworks.
Installing Django
To install Django, use:
pip install django
Verify the installation:
django-admin --version
Creating a Django Project
Step 1: Start a New Project
Run:
django-admin startproject myproject
This creates the following structure:
myproject/
│── manage.py
│── myproject/
│── __init__.py
│── settings.py
│── urls.py
│── wsgi.py
Step 2: Running the Development Server
Navigate into the project folder and run:
python manage.py runserver
Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/ in a browser to see Django’s welcome page.
Understanding Django’s MVT Architecture
1. Model (M) – Database Layer
Defines the structure of data using Django’s ORM.
Example:
from django.db import models
class Book(models.Model):
title = models.CharField(max_length=255)
author = models.CharField(max_length=100)
published_date = models.DateField()
2. View (V) – Business Logic
Handles user requests and returns a response.
Example:
from django.http import HttpResponse
def home(request):
return HttpResponse("Welcome to Django!")
3. Template (T) – Presentation Layer
Django templates contain HTML with dynamic data.
Example index.html:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My Django App</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to My Django App</h1>
</body>
</html>
Creating a Django App
Step 1: Create an App
python manage.py startapp myapp
This generates:
myapp/
│── models.py
│── views.py
│── urls.py
│── templates/
│── static/
Step 2: Define a View
Edit views.py:
from django.shortcuts import render
def home(request):
return render(request, 'index.html')
Step 3: Configure URLs
Edit urls.py in the project folder:
from django.urls import path
from myapp import views
urlpatterns = [
path('', views.home, name='home'),
]
Django ORM (Database Handling)
Step 1: Configure Database
In settings.py, configure:
DATABASES = {
'default': {
'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
'NAME': BASE_DIR / "db.sqlite3",
}
}
Step 2: Create Models
Edit models.py:
from django.db import models
class Student(models.Model):
name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
age = models.IntegerField()
Step 3: Apply Migrations
python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate
Django Admin Panel
Step 1: Create a Superuser
python manage.py createsuperuser
Follow the prompts to set a username and password.
Step 2: Register Models in Admin Panel
Edit admin.py:
from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Student
admin.site.register(Student)
Now, access http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/ and log in.
Working with Forms in Django
Step 1: Create a Django Form
Edit forms.py:
from django import forms
class StudentForm(forms.Form):
name = forms.CharField(label='Name', max_length=100)
age = forms.IntegerField(label='Age')
Step 2: Handle Form Submission
Edit views.py:
from django.shortcuts import render
from .forms import StudentForm
def student_form(request):
form = StudentForm()
return render(request, 'student_form.html', {'form': form})
Step 3: Create a Template
Create student_form.html:
<form method="post">
{% csrf_token %}
{{ form.as_p }}
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
Building a REST API with Django Rest Framework (DRF)
Step 1: Install DRF
pip install djangorestframework
Step 2: Update settings.py
INSTALLED_APPS = [
'rest_framework',
'myapp',
]
Step 3: Create a Serializer
Edit serializers.py:
from rest_framework import serializers
from .models import Student
class StudentSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
model = Student
fields = '__all__'
Step 4: Create an API View
Edit views.py:
from rest_framework.decorators import api_view
from rest_framework.response import Response
from .models import Student
from .serializers import StudentSerializer
@api_view(['GET'])
def student_list(request):
students = Student.objects.all()
serializer = StudentSerializer(students, many=True)
return Response(serializer.data)
Step 5: Configure URLs
Edit urls.py:
from django.urls import path
from .views import student_list
urlpatterns = [
path('api/students/', student_list),
]
Now, visiting http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/students/ returns JSON data.
Deploying Django Applications
- Use Gunicorn for Production bashCopyEdit
pip install gunicorn gunicorn myproject.wsgi - Deploy on Heroku, AWS, or DigitalOcean.
- Use Docker for containerization.