Django Framework
Overview
Master Django, the high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. Learn to build secure, scalable web applications with Django's batteries-included approach.
Learning Objectives
- Build full-stack web applications using Django MVC pattern
- Design and implement database models with Django ORM
- Implement user authentication and authorization
- Create RESTful APIs with Django REST Framework
- Deploy Django applications to production
Core Topics
1. Django Basics & Project Structure
- Django project setup and configuration
- Understanding MVT (Model-View-Template) pattern
- URL routing and views
- Django settings and environment variables
- Static files and media handling
Code Example:
# myapp/views.py
from django.shortcuts import render
from django.http import JsonResponse
from .models import Product
def product_list(request):
products = Product.objects.all()
return render(request, 'products/list.html', {'products': products})
def product_api(request):
products = Product.objects.values('id', 'name', 'price')
return JsonResponse(list(products), safe=False)2. Django ORM & Database Models
- Model definition and field types
- Relationships (ForeignKey, ManyToMany, OneToOne)
- QuerySets and database queries
- Migrations and schema management
- Database optimization (select_related, prefetch_related)
Code Example:
# models.py
from django.db import models
from django.contrib.auth.models import User
class Category(models.Model):
name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
slug = models.SlugField(unique=True)
created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
class Meta:
verbose_name_plural = "Categories"
def __str__(self):
return self.name
class Product(models.Model):
name = models.CharField(max_length=200)
description = models.TextField()
price = models.DecimalField(max_digits=10, decimal_places=2)
category = models.ForeignKey(Category, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
created_by = models.ForeignKey(User, on_delete=models.SET_NULL, null=True)
is_active = models.BooleanField(default=True)
created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
updated_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)
def __str__(self):
return self.name
# Efficient querying
products = Product.objects.select_related('category', 'created_by').filter(is_active=True)3. Authentication & Authorization
- User registration and login
- Password management
- Session management
- Permissions and groups
- Custom user models
- Social authentication
Code Example:
# views.py
from django.contrib.auth import authenticate, login, logout
from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required, permission_required
from django.shortcuts import redirect, render
def login_view(request):
if request.method == 'POST':
username = request.POST['username']
password = request.POST['password']
user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=password)
if user is not None:
login(request, user)
return redirect('dashboard')
return render(request, 'login.html')
@login_required
def dashboard(request):
return render(request, 'dashboard.html')
@permission_required('products.add_product')
def add_product(request):
# Only users with 'add_product' permission can access
return render(request, 'products/add.html')4. Django REST Framework
- Serializers and validation
- ViewSets and routers
- Authentication (JWT, Token)
- Permissions and throttling
- Pagination and filtering
Code Example:
# serializers.py
from rest_framework import serializers
from .models import Product, Category
class CategorySerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
model = Category
fields = ['id', 'name', 'slug']
class ProductSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
category = CategorySerializer(read_only=True)
category_id = serializers.IntegerField(write_only=True)
class Meta:
model = Product
fields = ['id', 'name', 'description', 'price', 'category', 'category_id', 'created_at']
# views.py
from rest_framework import viewsets
from rest_framework.permissions import IsAuthenticatedOrReadOnly
class ProductViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
queryset = Product.objects.all()
serializer_class = ProductSerializer
permission_classes = [IsAuthenticatedOrReadOnly]
def get_queryset(self):
queryset = super().get_queryset()
category = self.request.query_params.get('category')
if category:
queryset = queryset.filter(category__slug=category)
return querysetHands-On Practice
Project 1: Blog Application
Build a full-featured blog with user authentication.
Requirements:
- User registration and login
- Create, edit, delete posts
- Comments system
- Categories and tags
- Search functionality
- Admin interface
Key Skills: Django models, views, forms, authentication
Project 2: E-commerce API
Create a RESTful API for an e-commerce platform.
Requirements:
- Product catalog with categories
- Shopping cart management
- Order processing
- User authentication with JWT
- API documentation
- Rate limiting
Key Skills: Django REST Framework, serializers, authentication
Project 3: Task Management System
Build a collaborative task management application.
Requirements:
- User registration and teams
- Create and assign tasks
- Task status tracking
- File attachments
- Real-time notifications
- Permission-based access
Key Skills: Complex models, permissions, file handling
Assessment Criteria
- Set up Django projects with proper structure
- Design normalized database schemas
- Implement CRUD operations efficiently
- Secure applications with authentication
- Build RESTful APIs following best practices
- Write Django tests (unit and integration)
- Deploy to production environment
Resources
Official Documentation
- Django Docs - Official documentation
- Django REST Framework - DRF documentation
- Django Girls Tutorial - Beginner-friendly
Learning Platforms
- Django for Beginners - Book and tutorials
- Two Scoops of Django - Best practices
- TestDriven.io - Django with TDD
Tools
- Django Debug Toolbar - Debugging
- django-extensions - Useful utilities
- Celery - Async tasks
- PostgreSQL - Recommended database
Next Steps
After mastering Django, explore:
- FastAPI - Modern, fast web framework
- Celery - Asynchronous task queue
- Docker - Containerization for deployment
- AWS/Heroku - Cloud deployment platforms