Getting Started with Django – A Beginner’s Guide to Setup & First Steps
Introduction – Why Learn Django First?
Django is one of the most robust and beginner-friendly web frameworks available today. It’s built in Python and comes with everything you need to develop a full-stack web application right out of the box. Whether you’re a beginner or transitioning from Flask or PHP, Django provides a clean, secure, and scalable path to web development.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- What Django is and why it’s powerful for web development
- A brief history of Django
- How to set up a virtual environment
- Installing Django the right way
- Creating your first project and app
Topics Covered
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Django Home/Introduction/Get Started | Understand what Django is, its core features, and the official ecosystem |
| Django History | Explore how Django evolved and its usage in real-world applications |
| Django Create Virtual Environment | Set up isolated Python environments for clean development |
| Django Install | Learn how to install Django using pip or requirements.txt |
| Django Create Project | Start a new Django project structure from scratch |
| Django Create App | Create a Django app to modularize your project logic |
Django Home/Introduction/Get Started
Django is a high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. It’s built by developers for developers, helping you build secure and maintainable websites faster.
Features Include:
- Object-Relational Mapping (ORM)
- Admin interface
- Built-in authentication
- Scalable structure with apps
Visit: https://www.djangoproject.com/
Django History
Django was created in 2003 by the Lawrence Journal-World newspaper team and was publicly released under a BSD license in 2005. It was designed to meet the fast-paced demands of newsroom development, and today powers sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Disqus.
Django Create Virtual Environment
Creating a virtual environment ensures project dependencies don’t conflict.
Steps:
python -m venv myenv
source myenv/bin/activate # For Mac/Linux
myenv\Scripts\activate # For Windows
You’ll now be in an isolated Python environment specific to your Django project.
Django Install
Install Django using pip inside your virtual environment:
pip install django
To verify installation:
django-admin --version
For specific versions:
pip install django==4.2
Django Create Project
To start a Django project:
django-admin startproject myproject
cd myproject
python manage.py runserver
Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/ to see the default Django welcome page.
Django Create App
A project can consist of multiple apps. Create one using:
python manage.py startapp blog
Then, add your app to the project by editing settings.py:
INSTALLED_APPS = [
'blog',
...
]
Apps keep your project modular, scalable, and maintainable.
Summary – Recap & Next Steps
- Install Django in a virtual environment
- Set up a Django project with modular app structure
- Understand Django’s purpose and evolution
- Use
django-adminandmanage.pyfor commands
This foundation prepares you to dive into templates, models, views, admin, forms, and deployment in future steps.
FAQs – Getting Started with Django
What is the best way to install Django?
Use pip install django inside a virtual environment to avoid global conflicts.
Do I need to know Python before Django?
Yes, Django is a Python-based framework. A solid Python foundation is recommended.
Why use a virtual environment in Django?
It isolates dependencies, ensuring consistent project behavior and avoiding package clashes.
What’s the difference between a Django project and app?
A project is the entire website configuration; an app is a specific feature (e.g., blog, user auth) within that project.
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