What is Django and Why is it so Popular?

Django, a high-level Python web framework, has rapidly become a favorite among developers for creating clean, pragmatic, efficient, and easy-to-maintain web applications.

Django’s design encourages rapid development and pragmatic design — two major reasons for its widespread popularity. In this blog, we’ll explore what makes Django stand out and how you can leverage it for your projects.
 

Understanding Django: The Basics

Django follows the "batteries-included" philosophy and provides almost everything developers might want to do "out of the box." Because of this, it is often referred to as a framework for perfectionists with deadlines.

Django’s architecture is built around the Model-View-Template (MVT) pattern, which is slightly different from the more commonly known Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture.

For a closer look at Django's architectural pattern, check out Chapter 1. Django Key Concepts

Quick Start with Django

To begin with Django, you only need a basic understanding of Python.

Setting up a Django project involves a few straightforward commands:

django-admin startproject myproject

cd myproject python

manage.py runserver

This sets up a new Django project and starts a development server. For more detailed guidance on getting your first Django app up and running, refer to Chapter 2. Django Quick Start.

Understanding Django’s Project Structure: Key Files Explained

When you run the django-admin startproject command, it generates several essential files for your Django project. Here’s a brief overview of these key files:

Each of these files plays a specific role in the setup and management of your Django project, contributing to its structure and functionality. For an in-depth understanding please refer to our Django Quick Start Guide.

Why Django Is So Popular

Security

Django provides built-in protections against many security threats like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and forgery, to name a few. Security is such a critical aspect, and you can learn more about how Django handles it in Chapter 5. User Management.

Versatility in Web Applications

Whether you're building a social media site, an e-commerce platform, or a scientific computing platform, Django’s components can be used to build almost any type of web application efficiently. Our Chapter 4. Create CRUD Web Application provides detailed insights into creating a comprehensive web application using Django.

Practical Example: Building a Simple Blog App

Here's a simple Python Django snippet that demonstrates the CRUD operations for a blog application. This example includes the Django models and views required to create, read, update, and delete blog articles.

Models (models.py)

from django.db import models
class BlogPost(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=200)
    content = models.TextField()
    published_date = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)

    def __str__(self):
        return self.title

Views (views.py)

from django.shortcuts import render, redirect, get_object_or_404
from .models import BlogPost
from .forms import BlogPostForm

def create_post(request):
    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = BlogPostForm(request.POST)
        if form.is_valid():
            form.save()
            return redirect('list_posts')
    else:
        form = BlogPostForm()
    return render(request, 'create_post.html', {'form': form})

def list_posts(request):
    posts = BlogPost.objects.all()
    return render(request, 'list_posts.html', {'posts': posts})

def detail_post(request, pk):
    post = get_object_or_404(BlogPost, pk=pk)
    return render(request, 'detail_post.html', {'post': post})

def update_post(request, pk):
    post = get_object_or_404(BlogPost, pk=pk)
    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = BlogPostForm(request.POST, instance=post)
        if form.is_valid():
            form.save()
            return redirect('detail_post', pk=post.pk)
    else:
        form = BlogPostForm(instance=post)
    return render(request, 'update_post.html', {'form': form})

def delete_post(request, pk):
    post = get_object_or_404(BlogPost, pk=pk)
    if request.method == 'POST':
        post.delete()
        return redirect('list_posts')
    return render(request, 'delete_post.html', {'post': post})

Forms (forms.py)

from django import forms
from .models import BlogPost

class BlogPostForm(forms.ModelForm):
    class Meta:
        model = BlogPost
        fields = ['title', 'content']

Templates

You'll need to create HTML templates for each view (create_post.html, list_posts.html, detail_post.html, update_post.html, delete_post.html) to enable users to interact with the blog posts. You can learn more about creating templates in the Django Templates for CRUD Views section of our Django learning course.

This snippet shows how Django models streamline interactions with the database for CRUD applications.

Deploying Your Django App

Deployment is the final step of the web development process. Django supports various deployment options, including traditional servers and newer platforms like serverless technologies. For step-by-step instructions on deploying your Django application, see Chapter 6. Deploy Django App.

Start Learning Django Today!

Django’s design, built-in features, and robust community make it an outstanding framework for developers looking to build high-quality web applications efficiently. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, our Django learning course offers a wealth of information to help you master Django.

Ready to dive deeper into Django and build your own web applications? Read our learning course today and start transforming your web development journey with Django. Explore each chapter to gain a deeper understanding and hands-on experience with this powerful framework.

By understanding the fundamental concepts, practical application, and deployment strategies outlined in our learning course, you’ll be well-equipped to take advantage of everything Django has to offer. Don’t miss out on mastering one of today’s most popular web frameworks!