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Django Quick Start Guide

Django is a high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. Built by experienced developers, it takes care of much of the hassle of web development, so you can focus on writing your app without needing to reinvent the wheel. It’s free and open source.

Key features:

  • Ridiculously fast.
  • Reassuringly secure.
  • Exceedingly scalable.

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.x Installed
  • Terminal / Command Line Access
  • Basic Python Knowledge

📝 Check Python Version: 

python --version  # Windows / Ubuntu (if configured)
python3 --version # Recommended on Mac/Linux

Step 1: Create Project Folder & Virtual Environment

mkdir myproject
cd myproject

# For Ubuntu & Mac
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

# For Windows
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

Step 2:Install Django

pip install django

Step 3: Start a Django Project

django-admin startproject mysite
cd mysite

Step 4: Run the Development Server

# For Ubuntu & Mac
python3 manage.py runserver

# For Windows
python manage.py runserver
Open browser: http://127.0.0.1:8000/

Step 5: Create a Django App

python manage.py startapp myapp

Project Structure:

mysite/
    manage.py
    mysite/
    myapp/

Step 6: Register App in Django Settings

Edit mysite/settings.py 

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'myapp',  # Add this line
]

Step 7: Add a View in the App

from django.http import HttpResponse

def home(request):
    return HttpResponse("Hello, Django!")

Step 8: Update URL Routing

Edit mysite/urls.py: 

from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path
from myapp import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
    path('', views.home),
]

Step 9: Run the Server Again

# For Ubuntu & Mac
python3 manage.py runserver

# For Windows
python manage.py runserver
Visit: http://127.0.0.1:8000/

Expected Output:

Hello, Django!

Step 10: Create and Render a Template

a) Create Templates Directory In myapp/, create a folder called templates/myapp/ 

mkdir -p myapp/templates/

b) Create index.html Inside myapp/templates/myapp/index.html: 

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Django Home</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome to Django Home Page!</h1>
</body>
</html>

c) Update the View to Render Template Edit myapp/views.py: 

from django.shortcuts import render

def home(request):
    return render(request, 'index.html')

d) Ensure Templates Directory is Set (Optional) Django automatically finds templates in app's templates/ directory. But if needed, verify in mysite/settings.py:

import os
from pathlib import Path

BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent

TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
        'DIRS': [],
        'APP_DIRS': True,
        'OPTIONS': {
            'context_processors': [
                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
                'django.template.context_processors.request',
                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
            ],
        },
    },
]

e) Run Server & Check 

python manage.py runserver
Visit: http://127.0.0.1:8000/

Expected Output: 

Welcome to Django Home Page!

Optional: Django Admin Access

python manage.py createsuperuser
Login at: http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/

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