Django is a popular web framework for Python that enables developers to build powerful and scalable web applications quickly and easily. It was developed by Django Software Foundation and released in 2005. Django follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture pattern, which separates the presentation layer from the business logic and data storage layers. In this article, we will introduce you to the basics of the Django web framework.
Installation
Before we get started with Django, you need to install it on your computer. You can do this using pip, the package installer for Python. Open your command prompt or terminal and enter the following command:
pip install Django
This command will download and install the latest version of Django on your computer.
Creating a Django project
Once you have installed Django, you can create a new project by running the following command in your command prompt or terminal:
django-admin startproject myproject
This command will create a new directory called myproject that contains the basic files and directories needed to start a new Django project.
Project structure
The structure of a Django project is as follows:
- The project directory: This contains the main configuration files for the project, such as
settings.pyandurls.py. - The application directory: This contains the code for the application, such as views, models, and templates.
Creating a Django app
To create a new app in your Django project, run the following command in your command prompt or terminal:
python manage.py startapp myapp
This command will create a new directory called myapp inside your project directory. This directory will contain the code for your new app, such as views, models, and templates.
Views
Views are the heart of a Django application. They handle user requests and generate responses. A view is a Python function that takes a request object as its argument and returns a response object. Views are defined in the views.py file inside your app directory.
from django.http import HttpResponsedef my_view(request):return HttpResponse("Hello, World!")
This code defines a simple view that returns the text “Hello, World!” when a user requests it.
URLs
URLs map user requests to views. In Django, URLs are defined in the urls.py file inside your app directory.
from django.urls import pathfrom . import viewsurlpatterns = [path('myview/', views.my_view, name='my_view'),]
This code defines a URL pattern that maps the URL /myview/ to the my_view() function in the views.py file.
Templates
Templates define the structure and layout of the HTML pages that are served to users. Templates are stored in the templates directory inside your app directory.
<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title>My Page</title></head><body><h1>Hello, World!</h1></body></html>
This code defines a simple HTML template that displays the text “Hello, World!”.
Conclusion
Django is a powerful web framework that makes it easy to build complex and scalable web applications. In this article, we introduced you to the basics of Django, including installation, project structure, views, URLs, and templates. With the right tools and techniques, Django can be a great way to build powerful and user-friendly web applications
