Back to Course|6 hours|Intermediate

Django Framework

Learn Django framework fundamentals including installation, project structure, settings configuration, and URL routing for web development.

Progress: 0/5 topics completed0%

Select Topics Overview

Django Installation & Setup

Learn how to install Django, set up a virtual environment, and create a new Django project.

Content by: Manali Trivedi

Python Django Developer

Connect

What is Django?

Django is a high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. It follows the Model-View-Template (MVT) pattern and includes many built-in features.

Installation

Code Example

# Install Django using pip
pip install django

# Check Django version
python -m django --version

# Create a virtual environment (recommended)
python -m venv myenv

# Activate virtual environment
# On Windows:
myenv\Scripts\activate

# On macOS/Linux:
source myenv/bin/activate

# Install Django in virtual environment
pip install django

# Create a new Django project
django-admin startproject myproject

# Navigate to project directory
cd myproject

# Run the development server
python manage.py runserver

# Access your site at http://127.0.0.1:8000/

Swipe to see more code

# Install Django using pip
pip install django

# Check Django version
python -m django --version

# Create a virtual environment (recommended)
python -m venv myenv

# Activate virtual environment
# On Windows:
myenv\Scripts\activate

# On macOS/Linux:
source myenv/bin/activate

# Install Django in virtual environment
pip install django

# Create a new Django project
django-admin startproject myproject

# Navigate to project directory
cd myproject

# Run the development server
python manage.py runserver

# Access your site at http://127.0.0.1:8000/

Scroll

Practice Exercise: Project Setup Script

Code Example

# Django Project Setup Script
import os
import subprocess
import sys

def create_django_project():
    """Automated Django project setup"""
    project_name = input("Enter project name: ")
    
    # Create virtual environment
    print(f"Creating virtual environment for {project_name}...")
    subprocess.run([sys.executable, "-m", "venv", f"{project_name}_env"])
    
    # Activate virtual environment and install Django
    if os.name == 'nt':  # Windows
        activate_script = f"{project_name}_env\Scripts\activate"
        pip_path = f"{project_name}_env\Scripts\pip"
    else:  # macOS/Linux
        activate_script = f"{project_name}_env/bin/activate"
        pip_path = f"{project_name}_env/bin/pip"
    
    print("Installing Django...")
    subprocess.run([pip_path, "install", "django"])
    
    # Create Django project
    print(f"Creating Django project: {project_name}")
    subprocess.run([pip_path, "run", "django-admin", "startproject", project_name])
    
    print(f"\nProject {project_name} created successfully!")
    print(f"To get started:")
    print(f"1. cd {project_name}")
    print(f"2. Activate virtual environment: {activate_script}")
    print(f"3. Run: python manage.py runserver")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    create_django_project()

Swipe to see more code

# Django Project Setup Script
import os
import subprocess
import sys

def create_django_project():
    """Automated Django project setup"""
    project_name = input("Enter project name: ")
    
    # Create virtual environment
    print(f"Creating virtual environment for {project_name}...")
    subprocess.run([sys.executable, "-m", "venv", f"{project_name}_env"])
    
    # Activate virtual environment and install Django
    if os.name == 'nt':  # Windows
        activate_script = f"{project_name}_env\Scripts\activate"
        pip_path = f"{project_name}_env\Scripts\pip"
    else:  # macOS/Linux
        activate_script = f"{project_name}_env/bin/activate"
        pip_path = f"{project_name}_env/bin/pip"
    
    print("Installing Django...")
    subprocess.run([pip_path, "install", "django"])
    
    # Create Django project
    print(f"Creating Django project: {project_name}")
    subprocess.run([pip_path, "run", "django-admin", "startproject", project_name])
    
    print(f"\nProject {project_name} created successfully!")
    print(f"To get started:")
    print(f"1. cd {project_name}")
    print(f"2. Activate virtual environment: {activate_script}")
    print(f"3. Run: python manage.py runserver")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    create_django_project()

Scroll

🎯 Practice Exercise

Test your understanding of this topic:

I understand the basic concepts covered in this topicI can apply the concepts in practical scenariosI'm ready to move to the next topic

Project Structure

Understand the structure of a Django project and how to organize apps within it.

Content by: Manali Trivedi

Python Django Developer

Connect

Understanding Django Project Structure

Django projects have a specific structure that helps organize code and follows best practices for web development.

Project Layout

Code Example

myproject/
├── manage.py                 # Django's command-line utility
├── myproject/               # Project configuration directory
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── settings.py          # Project settings
│   ├── urls.py              # URL declarations
│   ├── asgi.py              # ASGI config
│   └── wsgi.py              # WSGI config
└── apps/                    # Application directory (custom)
    └── blog/                # Example app
        ├── __init__.py
        ├── admin.py         # Admin interface
        ├── apps.py          # App configuration
        ├── models.py        # Database models
        ├── tests.py         # Unit tests
        ├── urls.py          # App URL patterns
        └── views.py         # View functions

# Create a new app
python manage.py startapp blog

# Add app to INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'blog',  # Add your app here
]

Swipe to see more code

myproject/
├── manage.py                 # Django's command-line utility
├── myproject/               # Project configuration directory
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── settings.py          # Project settings
│   ├── urls.py              # URL declarations
│   ├── asgi.py              # ASGI config
│   └── wsgi.py              # WSGI config
└── apps/                    # Application directory (custom)
    └── blog/                # Example app
        ├── __init__.py
        ├── admin.py         # Admin interface
        ├── apps.py          # App configuration
        ├── models.py        # Database models
        ├── tests.py         # Unit tests
        ├── urls.py          # App URL patterns
        └── views.py         # View functions

# Create a new app
python manage.py startapp blog

# Add app to INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'blog',  # Add your app here
]

Scroll

Practice Exercise: App Generator

Code Example

# Django App Generator
import os
import re

class DjangoAppGenerator:
    def __init__(self, project_root):
        self.project_root = project_root
        self.apps_dir = os.path.join(project_root, 'apps')
        
        # Create apps directory if it doesn't exist
        if not os.path.exists(self.apps_dir):
            os.makedirs(self.apps_dir)
    
    def create_app(self, app_name):
        """Create a new Django app with proper structure"""
        app_path = os.path.join(self.apps_dir, app_name)
        
        if os.path.exists(app_path):
            print(f"App {app_name} already exists!")
            return False
        
        # Create app directory
        os.makedirs(app_path)
        
        # Create __init__.py
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, '__init__.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write("# Django app initialization\n")
        
        # Create apps.py
        apps_content = f'''from django.apps import AppConfig

class {app_name.capitalize()}Config(AppConfig):
    default_auto_field = 'django.db.models.BigAutoField'
    name = 'apps.{app_name}'
    verbose_name = '{app_name.replace("_", " ").title()}'
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'apps.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(apps_content)
        
        # Create models.py
        models_content = '''from django.db import models

# Define your models here
class ExampleModel(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    description = models.TextField(blank=True)
    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
    
    def __str__(self):
        return self.name
    
    class Meta:
        verbose_name = "Example Model"
        verbose_name_plural = "Example Models"
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'models.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(models_content)
        
        # Create views.py
        views_content = '''from django.shortcuts import render
from django.http import HttpResponse

# Define your views here
def index(request):
    return HttpResponse(f"Welcome to {app_name} app!")

def about(request):
    return HttpResponse(f"This is the about page for {app_name} app.")
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'views.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(views_content)
        
        # Create urls.py
        urls_content = f'''from django.urls import path
from . import views

app_name = '{app_name}'

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.index, name='index'),
    path('about/', views.about, name='about'),
]
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'urls.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(urls_content)
        
        # Create admin.py
        admin_content = f'''from django.contrib import admin
from .models import ExampleModel

@admin.register(ExampleModel)
class ExampleModelAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    list_display = ['name', 'created_at']
    list_filter = ['created_at']
    search_fields = ['name', 'description']
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'admin.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(admin_content)
        
        # Create tests.py
        tests_content = f'''from django.test import TestCase
from .models import ExampleModel

class {app_name.capitalize()}ModelTests(TestCase):
    def test_example_model_creation(self):
        model = ExampleModel.objects.create(
            name="Test Model",
            description="Test Description"
        )
        self.assertEqual(model.name, "Test Model")
        self.assertEqual(model.description, "Test Description")
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'tests.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(tests_content)
        
        print(f"App {app_name} created successfully in {app_path}")
        return True

# Usage example
if __name__ == "__main__":
    generator = DjangoAppGenerator(".")
    generator.create_app("blog")
    generator.create_app("users")

Swipe to see more code

# Django App Generator
import os
import re

class DjangoAppGenerator:
    def __init__(self, project_root):
        self.project_root = project_root
        self.apps_dir = os.path.join(project_root, 'apps')
        
        # Create apps directory if it doesn't exist
        if not os.path.exists(self.apps_dir):
            os.makedirs(self.apps_dir)
    
    def create_app(self, app_name):
        """Create a new Django app with proper structure"""
        app_path = os.path.join(self.apps_dir, app_name)
        
        if os.path.exists(app_path):
            print(f"App {app_name} already exists!")
            return False
        
        # Create app directory
        os.makedirs(app_path)
        
        # Create __init__.py
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, '__init__.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write("# Django app initialization\n")
        
        # Create apps.py
        apps_content = f'''from django.apps import AppConfig

class {app_name.capitalize()}Config(AppConfig):
    default_auto_field = 'django.db.models.BigAutoField'
    name = 'apps.{app_name}'
    verbose_name = '{app_name.replace("_", " ").title()}'
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'apps.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(apps_content)
        
        # Create models.py
        models_content = '''from django.db import models

# Define your models here
class ExampleModel(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    description = models.TextField(blank=True)
    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
    
    def __str__(self):
        return self.name
    
    class Meta:
        verbose_name = "Example Model"
        verbose_name_plural = "Example Models"
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'models.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(models_content)
        
        # Create views.py
        views_content = '''from django.shortcuts import render
from django.http import HttpResponse

# Define your views here
def index(request):
    return HttpResponse(f"Welcome to {app_name} app!")

def about(request):
    return HttpResponse(f"This is the about page for {app_name} app.")
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'views.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(views_content)
        
        # Create urls.py
        urls_content = f'''from django.urls import path
from . import views

app_name = '{app_name}'

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.index, name='index'),
    path('about/', views.about, name='about'),
]
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'urls.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(urls_content)
        
        # Create admin.py
        admin_content = f'''from django.contrib import admin
from .models import ExampleModel

@admin.register(ExampleModel)
class ExampleModelAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    list_display = ['name', 'created_at']
    list_filter = ['created_at']
    search_fields = ['name', 'description']
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'admin.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(admin_content)
        
        # Create tests.py
        tests_content = f'''from django.test import TestCase
from .models import ExampleModel

class {app_name.capitalize()}ModelTests(TestCase):
    def test_example_model_creation(self):
        model = ExampleModel.objects.create(
            name="Test Model",
            description="Test Description"
        )
        self.assertEqual(model.name, "Test Model")
        self.assertEqual(model.description, "Test Description")
'''
        with open(os.path.join(app_path, 'tests.py'), 'w') as f:
            f.write(tests_content)
        
        print(f"App {app_name} created successfully in {app_path}")
        return True

# Usage example
if __name__ == "__main__":
    generator = DjangoAppGenerator(".")
    generator.create_app("blog")
    generator.create_app("users")

Scroll

🎯 Practice Exercise

Test your understanding of this topic:

I understand the basic concepts covered in this topicI can apply the concepts in practical scenariosI'm ready to move to the next topic

Settings Configuration

Explore the configuration options in Django's settings.py file for customizing your project.

Content by: Manali Trivedi

Python Django Developer

Connect

Django Settings

The settings.py file contains all the configuration for your Django project. Understanding these settings is crucial for proper project setup.

Key Settings

Code Example

# settings.py
import os
from pathlib import Path

# Build paths inside the project
BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent

# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
SECRET_KEY = 'your-secret-key-here'

# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
DEBUG = True

ALLOWED_HOSTS = []

# Application definition
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'blog',  # Your app
]

MIDDLEWARE = [
    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
]

ROOT_URLCONF = 'myproject.urls'

TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
        'DIRS': [BASE_DIR / 'templates'],
        'APP_DIRS': True,
        'OPTIONS': {
            'context_processors': [
                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
                'django.template.context_processors.request',
                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
            ],
        },
    },
]

WSGI_APPLICATION = 'myproject.wsgi.application'

# Database
DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
        'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
    }
}

# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)
STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATICFILES_DIRS = [
    BASE_DIR / 'static',
]

# Media files
MEDIA_URL = '/media/'
MEDIA_ROOT = BASE_DIR / 'media'

# Internationalization
LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'
TIME_ZONE = 'UTC'
USE_I18N = True
USE_TZ = True

Swipe to see more code

# settings.py
import os
from pathlib import Path

# Build paths inside the project
BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent

# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
SECRET_KEY = 'your-secret-key-here'

# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
DEBUG = True

ALLOWED_HOSTS = []

# Application definition
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'blog',  # Your app
]

MIDDLEWARE = [
    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
]

ROOT_URLCONF = 'myproject.urls'

TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
        'DIRS': [BASE_DIR / 'templates'],
        'APP_DIRS': True,
        'OPTIONS': {
            'context_processors': [
                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
                'django.template.context_processors.request',
                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
            ],
        },
    },
]

WSGI_APPLICATION = 'myproject.wsgi.application'

# Database
DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
        'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
    }
}

# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)
STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATICFILES_DIRS = [
    BASE_DIR / 'static',
]

# Media files
MEDIA_URL = '/media/'
MEDIA_ROOT = BASE_DIR / 'media'

# Internationalization
LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'
TIME_ZONE = 'UTC'
USE_I18N = True
USE_TZ = True

Scroll

Practice Exercise: Environment-Based Settings

Code Example

# Environment-based Django settings
import os
from pathlib import Path
from decouple import config

# Build paths inside the project
BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent

# Environment configuration
ENVIRONMENT = config('ENVIRONMENT', default='development')

# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
SECRET_KEY = config('SECRET_KEY', default='your-secret-key-here')

# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
DEBUG = config('DEBUG', default=True, cast=bool)

ALLOWED_HOSTS = config('ALLOWED_HOSTS', default='localhost,127.0.0.1', cast=lambda v: [s.strip() for s in v.split(',')])

# Application definition
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'blog',
    'users',
]

# Database configuration based on environment
if ENVIRONMENT == 'production':
    DATABASES = {
        'default': {
            'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql',
            'NAME': config('DB_NAME'),
            'USER': config('DB_USER'),
            'PASSWORD': config('DB_PASSWORD'),
            'HOST': config('DB_HOST'),
            'PORT': config('DB_PORT', default='5432'),
        }
    }
    
    # Production-specific settings
    SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT = True
    SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = True
    CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE = True
    SECURE_BROWSER_XSS_FILTER = True
    SECURE_CONTENT_TYPE_NOSNIFF = True
    
else:
    # Development database
    DATABASES = {
        'default': {
            'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
            'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
        }
    }

# Static files configuration
STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = BASE_DIR / 'staticfiles'
STATICFILES_DIRS = [
    BASE_DIR / 'static',
]

# Media files
MEDIA_URL = '/media/'
MEDIA_ROOT = BASE_DIR / 'media'

# Logging configuration
LOGGING = {
    'version': 1,
    'disable_existing_loggers': False,
    'formatters': {
        'verbose': {
            'format': '{levelname} {asctime} {module} {process:d} {thread:d} {message}',
            'style': '{',
        },
    },
    'handlers': {
        'file': {
            'level': 'INFO',
            'class': 'logging.FileHandler',
            'filename': BASE_DIR / 'logs' / 'django.log',
            'formatter': 'verbose',
        },
    },
    'root': {
        'handlers': ['file'],
        'level': 'INFO',
    },
}

# Create logs directory if it doesn't exist
os.makedirs(BASE_DIR / 'logs', exist_ok=True)

Swipe to see more code

# Environment-based Django settings
import os
from pathlib import Path
from decouple import config

# Build paths inside the project
BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent

# Environment configuration
ENVIRONMENT = config('ENVIRONMENT', default='development')

# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
SECRET_KEY = config('SECRET_KEY', default='your-secret-key-here')

# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
DEBUG = config('DEBUG', default=True, cast=bool)

ALLOWED_HOSTS = config('ALLOWED_HOSTS', default='localhost,127.0.0.1', cast=lambda v: [s.strip() for s in v.split(',')])

# Application definition
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'blog',
    'users',
]

# Database configuration based on environment
if ENVIRONMENT == 'production':
    DATABASES = {
        'default': {
            'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql',
            'NAME': config('DB_NAME'),
            'USER': config('DB_USER'),
            'PASSWORD': config('DB_PASSWORD'),
            'HOST': config('DB_HOST'),
            'PORT': config('DB_PORT', default='5432'),
        }
    }
    
    # Production-specific settings
    SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT = True
    SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = True
    CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE = True
    SECURE_BROWSER_XSS_FILTER = True
    SECURE_CONTENT_TYPE_NOSNIFF = True
    
else:
    # Development database
    DATABASES = {
        'default': {
            'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
            'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
        }
    }

# Static files configuration
STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = BASE_DIR / 'staticfiles'
STATICFILES_DIRS = [
    BASE_DIR / 'static',
]

# Media files
MEDIA_URL = '/media/'
MEDIA_ROOT = BASE_DIR / 'media'

# Logging configuration
LOGGING = {
    'version': 1,
    'disable_existing_loggers': False,
    'formatters': {
        'verbose': {
            'format': '{levelname} {asctime} {module} {process:d} {thread:d} {message}',
            'style': '{',
        },
    },
    'handlers': {
        'file': {
            'level': 'INFO',
            'class': 'logging.FileHandler',
            'filename': BASE_DIR / 'logs' / 'django.log',
            'formatter': 'verbose',
        },
    },
    'root': {
        'handlers': ['file'],
        'level': 'INFO',
    },
}

# Create logs directory if it doesn't exist
os.makedirs(BASE_DIR / 'logs', exist_ok=True)

Scroll

🎯 Practice Exercise

Test your understanding of this topic:

I understand the basic concepts covered in this topicI can apply the concepts in practical scenariosI'm ready to move to the next topic

URL Configuration

Master Django's URL routing system to map requests to views and handle dynamic URLs.

Content by: Manali Trivedi

Python Django Developer

Connect

URL Routing in Django

Django uses URL patterns to route requests to the appropriate views. Understanding URL configuration is essential for building web applications.

URL Patterns

Code Example

# myproject/urls.py (Main URL configuration)
from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path, include
from django.conf import settings
from django.conf.urls.static import static

urlpatterns = [
    path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
    path('blog/', include('blog.urls')),  # Include app URLs
    path('', include('home.urls')),       # Home page URLs
]

# Serve static and media files in development
if settings.DEBUG:
    urlpatterns += static(settings.STATIC_URL, document_root=settings.STATIC_ROOT)
    urlpatterns += static(settings.MEDIA_URL, document_root=settings.MEDIA_ROOT)

# blog/urls.py (App-specific URLs)
from django.urls import path
from . import views

app_name = 'blog'  # URL namespace

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.post_list, name='post_list'),
    path('post/<int:pk>/', views.post_detail, name='post_detail'),
    path('post/new/', views.post_new, name='post_new'),
    path('post/<int:pk>/edit/', views.post_edit, name='post_edit'),
]

# home/urls.py (Home page URLs)
from django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.home, name='home'),
    path('about/', views.about, name='about'),
    path('contact/', views.contact, name='contact'),
]

# URL Patterns with Parameters
# Integer parameters
path('post/<int:pk>/', views.post_detail, name='post_detail'),

# String parameters
path('category/<str:category>/', views.category_posts, name='category_posts'),

# Slug parameters
path('post/<slug:slug>/', views.post_detail, name='post_detail'),

# UUID parameters
path('user/<uuid:user_id>/', views.user_profile, name='user_profile'),

# Multiple parameters
path('post/<int:year>/<int:month>/<slug:slug>/', views.post_detail, name='post_detail'),

Swipe to see more code

# myproject/urls.py (Main URL configuration)
from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path, include
from django.conf import settings
from django.conf.urls.static import static

urlpatterns = [
    path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
    path('blog/', include('blog.urls')),  # Include app URLs
    path('', include('home.urls')),       # Home page URLs
]

# Serve static and media files in development
if settings.DEBUG:
    urlpatterns += static(settings.STATIC_URL, document_root=settings.STATIC_ROOT)
    urlpatterns += static(settings.MEDIA_URL, document_root=settings.MEDIA_ROOT)

# blog/urls.py (App-specific URLs)
from django.urls import path
from . import views

app_name = 'blog'  # URL namespace

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.post_list, name='post_list'),
    path('post/<int:pk>/', views.post_detail, name='post_detail'),
    path('post/new/', views.post_new, name='post_new'),
    path('post/<int:pk>/edit/', views.post_edit, name='post_edit'),
]

# home/urls.py (Home page URLs)
from django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.home, name='home'),
    path('about/', views.about, name='about'),
    path('contact/', views.contact, name='contact'),
]

# URL Patterns with Parameters
# Integer parameters
path('post/<int:pk>/', views.post_detail, name='post_detail'),

# String parameters
path('category/<str:category>/', views.category_posts, name='category_posts'),

# Slug parameters
path('post/<slug:slug>/', views.post_detail, name='post_detail'),

# UUID parameters
path('user/<uuid:user_id>/', views.user_profile, name='user_profile'),

# Multiple parameters
path('post/<int:year>/<int:month>/<slug:slug>/', views.post_detail, name='post_detail'),

Scroll

Practice Exercise: Dynamic URL Router

Code Example

# Dynamic URL Router for Django
from django.urls import path, re_path
from django.http import HttpResponse
from django.views.generic import TemplateView

class DynamicRouter:
    """A dynamic URL router that can generate URLs based on patterns"""
    
    def __init__(self):
        self.routes = {}
    
    def add_route(self, pattern, view_func, name=None):
        """Add a new route pattern"""
        self.routes[pattern] = {
            'view': view_func,
            'name': name or pattern
        }
    
    def get_urlpatterns(self):
        """Convert routes to Django URL patterns"""
        urlpatterns = []
        
        for pattern, route_info in self.routes.items():
            # Convert pattern to Django path
            if '<' in pattern and '>' in pattern:
                # Dynamic parameter pattern
                django_pattern = self._convert_pattern(pattern)
                urlpatterns.append(
                    path(django_pattern, route_info['view'], name=route_info['name'])
                )
            else:
                # Static pattern
                urlpatterns.append(
                    path(pattern, route_info['view'], name=route_info['name'])
                )
        
        return urlpatterns
    
    def _convert_pattern(self, pattern):
        """Convert custom pattern to Django URL pattern"""
        # Example: /user/{id}/profile -> /user/<int:id>/profile
        import re
        
        # Replace {param} with <type:param>
        pattern = re.sub(r'\{([^}]+)\}', r'<str:\1>', pattern)
        
        # Add type hints for common patterns
        pattern = re.sub(r'<str:id>', '<int:id>', pattern)
        pattern = re.sub(r'<str:pk>', '<int:pk>', pattern)
        pattern = re.sub(r'<str:slug>', '<slug:slug>', pattern)
        
        return pattern

# Example usage
def user_profile(request, user_id):
    return HttpResponse(f"User Profile: {user_id}")

def post_detail(request, post_id):
    return HttpResponse(f"Post Detail: {post_id}")

def category_posts(request, category):
    return HttpResponse(f"Category: {category}")

# Create router and add routes
router = DynamicRouter()
router.add_route('user/{id}/profile', user_profile, 'user_profile')
router.add_route('post/{id}', post_detail, 'post_detail')
router.add_route('category/{category}', category_posts, 'category_posts')

# Generate URL patterns
urlpatterns = router.get_urlpatterns()

# This would be used in your urls.py like:
# from .router import urlpatterns
# urlpatterns += urlpatterns

Swipe to see more code

# Dynamic URL Router for Django
from django.urls import path, re_path
from django.http import HttpResponse
from django.views.generic import TemplateView

class DynamicRouter:
    """A dynamic URL router that can generate URLs based on patterns"""
    
    def __init__(self):
        self.routes = {}
    
    def add_route(self, pattern, view_func, name=None):
        """Add a new route pattern"""
        self.routes[pattern] = {
            'view': view_func,
            'name': name or pattern
        }
    
    def get_urlpatterns(self):
        """Convert routes to Django URL patterns"""
        urlpatterns = []
        
        for pattern, route_info in self.routes.items():
            # Convert pattern to Django path
            if '<' in pattern and '>' in pattern:
                # Dynamic parameter pattern
                django_pattern = self._convert_pattern(pattern)
                urlpatterns.append(
                    path(django_pattern, route_info['view'], name=route_info['name'])
                )
            else:
                # Static pattern
                urlpatterns.append(
                    path(pattern, route_info['view'], name=route_info['name'])
                )
        
        return urlpatterns
    
    def _convert_pattern(self, pattern):
        """Convert custom pattern to Django URL pattern"""
        # Example: /user/{id}/profile -> /user/<int:id>/profile
        import re
        
        # Replace {param} with <type:param>
        pattern = re.sub(r'\{([^}]+)\}', r'<str:\1>', pattern)
        
        # Add type hints for common patterns
        pattern = re.sub(r'<str:id>', '<int:id>', pattern)
        pattern = re.sub(r'<str:pk>', '<int:pk>', pattern)
        pattern = re.sub(r'<str:slug>', '<slug:slug>', pattern)
        
        return pattern

# Example usage
def user_profile(request, user_id):
    return HttpResponse(f"User Profile: {user_id}")

def post_detail(request, post_id):
    return HttpResponse(f"Post Detail: {post_id}")

def category_posts(request, category):
    return HttpResponse(f"Category: {category}")

# Create router and add routes
router = DynamicRouter()
router.add_route('user/{id}/profile', user_profile, 'user_profile')
router.add_route('post/{id}', post_detail, 'post_detail')
router.add_route('category/{category}', category_posts, 'category_posts')

# Generate URL patterns
urlpatterns = router.get_urlpatterns()

# This would be used in your urls.py like:
# from .router import urlpatterns
# urlpatterns += urlpatterns

Scroll

🎯 Practice Exercise

Test your understanding of this topic:

I understand the basic concepts covered in this topicI can apply the concepts in practical scenariosI'm ready to move to the next topic

Templates & Static Files

Learn to work with Django templates, static files, and the template language for building dynamic web pages.

Content by: Manali Trivedi

Python Django Developer

Connect

Django Templates

Django templates are HTML files that can contain Django template language syntax for dynamic content rendering.

Template Structure and Syntax

Code Example

<!-- base.html - Base template -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>{% block title %}My Django Site{% endblock %}</title>
    {% load static %}
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="{% static 'css/style.css' %}">
</head>
<body>
    <header>
        <nav>
            <ul>
                <li><a href="{% url 'home' %}">Home</a></li>
                <li><a href="{% url 'blog:post_list' %}">Blog</a></li>
                <li><a href="{% url 'about' %}">About</a></li>
                <li><a href="{% url 'contact' %}">Contact</a></li>
            </ul>
        </nav>
    </header>
    
    <main>
        {% block content %}
        {% endblock %}
    </main>
    
    <footer>
        <p>&copy; 2024 My Django Site. All rights reserved.</p>
    </footer>
    
    <script src="{% static 'js/main.js' %}"></script>
</body>
</html>

<!-- post_list.html - Extends base template -->
{% extends 'base.html' %}
{% load static %}

{% block title %}Blog Posts{% endblock %}

{% block content %}
<div class="container">
    <h1>Blog Posts</h1>
    
    {% if posts %}
        <div class="posts-grid">
            {% for post in posts %}
            <article class="post-card">
                <h2><a href="{% url 'blog:post_detail' post.pk %}">{{ post.title }}</a></h2>
                <p class="post-meta">
                    By {{ post.author }} on {{ post.published_date|date:"F j, Y" }}
                </p>
                <p class="post-excerpt">{{ post.excerpt|truncatewords:30 }}</p>
                <div class="post-tags">
                    {% for tag in post.tags.all %}
                    <span class="tag">{{ tag.name }}</span>
                    {% endfor %}
                </div>
            </article>
            {% endfor %}
        </div>
        
        {% if is_paginated %}
        <div class="pagination">
            {% if page_obj.has_previous %}
                <a href="?page={{ page_obj.previous_page_number }}">&laquo; Previous</a>
            {% endif %}
            
            <span class="current">
                Page {{ page_obj.number }} of {{ page_obj.num_pages }}
            </span>
            
            {% if page_obj.has_next %}
                <a href="?page={{ page_obj.next_page_number }}">Next &raquo;</a>
            {% endif %}
        </div>
        {% endif %}
    {% else %}
        <p>No posts available.</p>
    {% endif %}
</div>
{% endblock %}

Swipe to see more code

<!-- base.html - Base template -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>{% block title %}My Django Site{% endblock %}</title>
    {% load static %}
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="{% static 'css/style.css' %}">
</head>
<body>
    <header>
        <nav>
            <ul>
                <li><a href="{% url 'home' %}">Home</a></li>
                <li><a href="{% url 'blog:post_list' %}">Blog</a></li>
                <li><a href="{% url 'about' %}">About</a></li>
                <li><a href="{% url 'contact' %}">Contact</a></li>
            </ul>
        </nav>
    </header>
    
    <main>
        {% block content %}
        {% endblock %}
    </main>
    
    <footer>
        <p>&copy; 2024 My Django Site. All rights reserved.</p>
    </footer>
    
    <script src="{% static 'js/main.js' %}"></script>
</body>
</html>

<!-- post_list.html - Extends base template -->
{% extends 'base.html' %}
{% load static %}

{% block title %}Blog Posts{% endblock %}

{% block content %}
<div class="container">
    <h1>Blog Posts</h1>
    
    {% if posts %}
        <div class="posts-grid">
            {% for post in posts %}
            <article class="post-card">
                <h2><a href="{% url 'blog:post_detail' post.pk %}">{{ post.title }}</a></h2>
                <p class="post-meta">
                    By {{ post.author }} on {{ post.published_date|date:"F j, Y" }}
                </p>
                <p class="post-excerpt">{{ post.excerpt|truncatewords:30 }}</p>
                <div class="post-tags">
                    {% for tag in post.tags.all %}
                    <span class="tag">{{ tag.name }}</span>
                    {% endfor %}
                </div>
            </article>
            {% endfor %}
        </div>
        
        {% if is_paginated %}
        <div class="pagination">
            {% if page_obj.has_previous %}
                <a href="?page={{ page_obj.previous_page_number }}">&laquo; Previous</a>
            {% endif %}
            
            <span class="current">
                Page {{ page_obj.number }} of {{ page_obj.num_pages }}
            </span>
            
            {% if page_obj.has_next %}
                <a href="?page={{ page_obj.next_page_number }}">Next &raquo;</a>
            {% endif %}
        </div>
        {% endif %}
    {% else %}
        <p>No posts available.</p>
    {% endif %}
</div>
{% endblock %}

Scroll

Practice Exercise: Template Tag Library

Code Example

# Custom template tags for Django
from django import template
from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
import markdown
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

register = template.Library()

@register.filter(name='markdown')
def markdown_filter(text):
    """Convert markdown text to HTML"""
    return mark_safe(markdown.markdown(text))

@register.filter(name='time_ago')
def time_ago_filter(value):
    """Show relative time (e.g., '2 hours ago')"""
    if not value:
        return ""
    
    now = datetime.now()
    if value.tzinfo:
        now = now.replace(tzinfo=value.tzinfo)
    
    diff = now - value
    
    if diff.days > 0:
        return f"{diff.days} day{'s' if diff.days != 1 else ''} ago"
    elif diff.seconds > 3600:
        hours = diff.seconds // 3600
        return f"{hours} hour{'s' if hours != 1 else ''} ago"
    elif diff.seconds > 60:
        minutes = diff.seconds // 60
        return f"{minutes} minute{'s' if minutes != 1 else ''} ago"
    else:
        return "Just now"

@register.simple_tag
def get_recent_posts(count=5):
    """Get recent blog posts"""
    from blog.models import Post
    return Post.objects.filter(status='published').order_by('-published_date')[:count]

@register.inclusion_tag('blog/tags/post_tags.html')
def show_post_tags(post):
    """Display post tags with custom styling"""
    return {'tags': post.tags.all()}

# Usage in templates:
# {{ post.content|markdown }}
# {{ post.published_date|time_ago }}
# {% get_recent_posts 3 as recent_posts %}
# {% show_post_tags post %}

# post_tags.html template:
"""
<div class="post-tags">
    {% for tag in tags %}
    <a href="{% url 'blog:tag_posts' tag.slug %}" class="tag tag-{{ tag.color }}">
        {{ tag.name }}
    </a>
    {% endfor %}
</div>
"""

Swipe to see more code

# Custom template tags for Django
from django import template
from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
import markdown
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

register = template.Library()

@register.filter(name='markdown')
def markdown_filter(text):
    """Convert markdown text to HTML"""
    return mark_safe(markdown.markdown(text))

@register.filter(name='time_ago')
def time_ago_filter(value):
    """Show relative time (e.g., '2 hours ago')"""
    if not value:
        return ""
    
    now = datetime.now()
    if value.tzinfo:
        now = now.replace(tzinfo=value.tzinfo)
    
    diff = now - value
    
    if diff.days > 0:
        return f"{diff.days} day{'s' if diff.days != 1 else ''} ago"
    elif diff.seconds > 3600:
        hours = diff.seconds // 3600
        return f"{hours} hour{'s' if hours != 1 else ''} ago"
    elif diff.seconds > 60:
        minutes = diff.seconds // 60
        return f"{minutes} minute{'s' if minutes != 1 else ''} ago"
    else:
        return "Just now"

@register.simple_tag
def get_recent_posts(count=5):
    """Get recent blog posts"""
    from blog.models import Post
    return Post.objects.filter(status='published').order_by('-published_date')[:count]

@register.inclusion_tag('blog/tags/post_tags.html')
def show_post_tags(post):
    """Display post tags with custom styling"""
    return {'tags': post.tags.all()}

# Usage in templates:
# {{ post.content|markdown }}
# {{ post.published_date|time_ago }}
# {% get_recent_posts 3 as recent_posts %}
# {% show_post_tags post %}

# post_tags.html template:
"""
<div class="post-tags">
    {% for tag in tags %}
    <a href="{% url 'blog:tag_posts' tag.slug %}" class="tag tag-{{ tag.color }}">
        {{ tag.name }}
    </a>
    {% endfor %}
</div>
"""

Scroll

🎯 Practice Exercise

Test your understanding of this topic:

I understand the basic concepts covered in this topicI can apply the concepts in practical scenariosI'm ready to move to the next topic

Previous Module

Module 1: Python Fundamentals

Next Module

Module 3: Advanced Django Features

Additional Resources

📚 Recommended Reading

•Django Official Documentation
•Django for Beginners by William S. Vincent
•Two Scoops of Django by Daniel Greenfeld

🌐 Online Resources

•Django Tutorial (djangoproject.com)
•Django Girls Tutorial
•Real Python Django Tutorials

Ready for the Next Module?

Continue your learning journey and master the next set of concepts.

Continue to Module 3

Module 2: Django Framework

Django Framework

Select Topics Overview

Django Installation & Setup

Project Structure

Settings Configuration

URL Configuration

Templates & Static Files

Django Installation & Setup

Project Structure

Settings Configuration

URL Configuration

Templates & Static Files

Django Installation & Setup

What is Django?

Installation

Practice Exercise: Project Setup Script

🎯 Practice Exercise

Project Structure

Understanding Django Project Structure

Project Layout

Practice Exercise: App Generator

🎯 Practice Exercise

Settings Configuration

Django Settings

Key Settings

Practice Exercise: Environment-Based Settings

🎯 Practice Exercise

URL Configuration

URL Routing in Django

URL Patterns

Practice Exercise: Dynamic URL Router

🎯 Practice Exercise

Templates & Static Files

Django Templates

Template Structure and Syntax

Practice Exercise: Template Tag Library

🎯 Practice Exercise

Module 1: Python Fundamentals

Module 3: Advanced Django Features

Additional Resources

📚 Recommended Reading

🌐 Online Resources

Ready for the Next Module?