Introduction to Django Framework
Django is a free and open-source web application framework that allows for rapid web development using Python’s clean, pragmatic design principles. It was created in 2003 at the Lawrence Journal-World newspaper when Python was used for the web development of their websites. They eventually open-sourced their common code in the form of the Django framework in 2005, making web development easier with pre-built modules. The framework has a large community who have contributed third-party code for Django that can be found on djangopackages.org.
Django follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern, but in Django it is called the Model-View-Template (MTV) pattern. This pattern helps separate the components of an application and simplifies maintenance. In this framework, the Model represents the data structure, the View represents the user interface, and the Template represents the presentation layer. By implementing MVC, we can structure our Django project efficiently and we’ll learn the best practices for each of these components.
Django’s features, such as its object-relational mapper (ORM), built-in admin interface, and reusability of code, makes it a popular choice among developers. With excellent documentation and a large community, Django is an ideal solution for building scalable, maintainable web applications.
Additional Resources
Check out the official Django documentation for more information and additional resources:
https://docs.djangoproject.com/
WHAT IS DJANGO?
Django is a widely-used web development framework that can be used for various purposes. It is recommended for developers who want to build complex and scalable websites, including e-commerce sites and blogging sites. This article covers the basics of setting up a development environment, installing and using Django, and implementing best practices. Django follows a consistent structure and is easy to use, making it an excellent option for both beginner and advanced developers.
Django offers great flexibility for building websites, making it easy to learn and easy to extend with different tools and libraries. It also provides built-in security features such as session management and model binding. Its shared-nothing architecture allows for easy scaling out to new servers, and Django coding standards promote maintainability and clarity of code.
There are various ways to start a Django project. Developers can use pre-built packages or build their own from scratch. The recommended approach is to start with small, useful applications.
Django Architecture
Every website has three main sections of code: input logic, business logic, and user interface logic. Input data is stored in the database and presented as output by business logic. HTML and CSS are used to create the user interface.
Nowadays, content is sourced from multiple files and rendered in a process known as page streaming. Web technologies such as Javascript, HTML, CSS, and Java are widely used for software development.
Django uses the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. The Model represents the data your website/application will work on, the View presents the Model on the website/application, and finally, the Controller connects the Model and View. This is where you’ll be writing most of your code.
About the Model in Web Development
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The Model in web development is responsible for data-related tasks. It can be a table in a database or a JSON file but it is where the data is transformed from one format to another. Any changes to the model are done in one place. In Django, the Model contains the Business Logic.
When a user signs up on a website, the Controller calls the Model to apply the logic on the form. The Model processes the data, applies its logic, and sends the response to the Controller. Finally, the Controller passes the response to the client.
Django View Component
The View component in Django architecture displays data from the Model component and collects data from the user to send to the Model as a form input. It encompasses the UI logic that can be found in JavaScript code for animations, visualizations, and interactive elements. For instance, clicking on a product and going to its detail page generates a product detail view, while clicking on a category and then going to the category view generates the category view. By creating views, you can replicate this behavior on your own website.
Controller
In an MVC architecture, the controller determines which view to display and manipulates its model. It can apply logic and rules to the model and decide how to present the view. The controller can manipulate the view by modifying the model or by displaying data as it is. It’s useful when model data is confidential. The controller is responsible for determining when and what to display, which improves code reusability and scalability. An application may have multiple controllers like login and profile details controller.Django MTV pattern
Overview
Django follows the MTV (Model-Template-View) pattern to separate application components into separate files. This makes it easier to modify individual components without affecting others. The three main components are Models, Templates, and Views.
URLS: The URL file maps the HTTP requests to their corresponding view functions.
VIEW: The view is the code that retrieves data from the model and renders it in the template.
MODELS: Models define the structure of the application’s data and interact with the database.
TEMPLATES: The templates define how the data should be displayed to the user.
By separating these components into individual files, Django makes it easier to modify specific parts of the application without affecting the whole.
Features of Django
Django is a great framework for web application development in the US with many features, including:
* Speed: Django enables fast product development.
* Extensive: Django has many integrated projects for user authentication, authorization, and content administration.
* Versatile: Django is suitable for various projects, from CMSs to e-commerce apps and on-demand delivery platforms.
* Security: Django comes with built-in security features that protect against common security issues such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and cross-site request forgery.
* Scalability: Django websites can easily scale to meet high-traffic demands.
# example code
from django.shortcuts import render
def home(request):
return render(request, 'home.html')
Django’s flexibility and functionality make it an excellent choice for modern web app development.
BENEFITS OF DJANGO ARCHITECTURE
Django’s architecture is simple and effective, allowing for easy communication between components. Here are some advantages:
- RAPID DEVELOPMENT: Multiple developers can work on different aspects of an application simultaneously, thanks to Django’s architecture that separates components.
- LOOSELY COUPLED: To maintain high website security, every part of Django’s architecture is necessary. Since the model file is stored solely on the server, there will be no problem with the webpage.
- EASE OF MODIFICATION: Django’s architecture allows for modifications in certain components without changing the others. This gives us more flexibility in designing our website than other frameworks.
//Code
Understanding Django Architecture
Django, the popular Python-based web framework, is perfect for building maintainable, secure web applications. Its flexible and scalable architecture allows for easy customization and building of applications. In this tutorial, we covered the basics of Django architecture, including the default models and views, adding custom fields, and customizing templates. By following this tutorial, you should have gained a solid understanding of the essential concepts behind Django architecture.
Additional Resources
Explore these resources for more information:
