Chapter 1. Django Key Concepts

In this chapter, we’ll cover the essential concepts behind Django, a Python-based full-stack web framework. Django helps streamline web development by providing both frontend and backend functionalities. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced developer, this chapter introduces key ideas that are foundational for working with Django.

What We Cover in This Chapter

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

Web Framework and Django

In this section, we’ll explore what a web framework is and how Django, as a full-stack Python-based framework, provides tools for both frontend and backend development. We’ll discuss different types of web frameworks, their purposes, and how Django stands out as a full-stack solution.

Websites vs. Django Web Apps

In this topic, we’ll compare static websites with dynamic Django web applications. We’ll highlight the differences in user interactions, data handling, and functionality between the two. Web applications are more interactive, while websites tend to be static.

How Django Handles HTTP Request and HTTP Response

In this section, we’ll discuss how HTTP requests and responses work in general, and then explore how Django handles them. Django acts as a middle layer between the web server and the client, processing the HTTP request and generating the appropriate response based on business logic.

Django's MVT Framework

Here, we’ll delve into Django’s architecture, known as MVT (Model-View-Template), which is a variation of the popular MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture. We’ll explore how Django uses Models, Views, and Templates to separate the data, logic, and presentation layers in a web application.

Django Templates vs. Django APIs

In this section, we’ll explain the two approaches for using Django in front-end development: using Django templates for rendering HTML on the server-side, and using Django as an API backend to interact with frontend frameworks like React.js.

Learn offline for better focus!
A book for this course is available on Amazon.