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🌐 Core Django Concepts – Mastering Views, Templates, Models & URLs

🧲 Introduction – Why Core Django Concepts Matter

Once your Django project is set up, mastering its core components is essential to build powerful web applications. These components include views, templates, models, and URL routing—all working together to deliver content dynamically and efficiently.

🎯 In this guide, you’ll explore:

How Django views connect data to frontend
Setting up URLs for page routing
Creating and rendering templates
Defining and using models for database operations
Structuring layout with base templates and dynamic pages

📘 Topics Covered

🔹 Topic	📄 Description
🔍 Django Views	Handle requests and return responses using Python functions or classes
🔗 Django URLs	Map URLs to views using routing patterns
🖼️ Django Templates	Render HTML dynamically with Django’s template engine
🗃️ Django Models	Define and interact with database tables
📊 Django Display Data	Use views and templates to display data from models
🧰 Django Prep Template and View	Set up view functions and templates to prepare dynamic rendering
🔗 Django Add Link to Details	Add clickable links for navigating to detail views
🧱 Django Add Master Template	Create a reusable base layout for consistency across pages
📄 Django Add Main Index Page	Build the homepage to show list or landing content
🚫 Django 404 Template	Customize error pages for a better user experience
🧪 Django Add Test View	Test setup and rendering of views during development

🔍 Django Views

Views are Python functions or class-based methods that receive HTTP requests and return HTTP responses.

from django.http import HttpResponse

def index(request):
    return HttpResponse("Welcome to the homepage!")

➡️ These views are connected to URLs and can render templates or return JSON responses.

🔗 Django URLs

URLs define the paths that users navigate to in your application. Use urls.py to map these paths to views.

from django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.index, name='index'),
]

🧭 Each route is clean, human-readable, and scalable.

🖼️ Django Templates

Templates allow you to embed dynamic content inside HTML using Django Template Language (DTL).

<!-- index.html -->
<h1>Welcome {{ user.username }}</h1>

Templates are rendered in views using render():

from django.shortcuts import render

def index(request):
    return render(request, 'index.html', {'user': request.user})

🗃️ Django Models

Models define database schema using Python classes.

from django.db import models

class Article(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    body = models.TextField()

Use makemigrations and migrate to update the database schema.

📊 Django Display Data

To display data from the database:

def article_list(request):
    articles = Article.objects.all()
    return render(request, 'articles/list.html', {'articles': articles})

Templates will loop through the data:

{% for article in articles %}
  <h2>{{ article.title }}</h2>
  <p>{{ article.body }}</p>
{% endfor %}

🧰 Django Prep Template and View

Organize your views to handle logic and connect it to corresponding templates. Always keep logic in the view and UI in templates.

🔗 Django Add Link to Details

In your list template:

<a href="{% url 'article_detail' article.id %}">Read More</a>

Update your urls.py:

path('article/<int:id>/', views.article_detail, name='article_detail')

🧱 Django Add Master Template

Create base.html and extend it in all other templates:

<!-- base.html -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><title>{% block title %}My Site{% endblock %}</title></head>
<body>
  <header>Navbar</header>
  {% block content %}{% endblock %}
</body>
</html>

📄 Django Add Main Index Page

Make your homepage informative and dynamic using index.html. Include a list of items, search bar, or introductory content.

🚫 Django 404 Template

Create 404.html and place it in your templates directory to show a custom error page when a user hits a non-existent route.

🧪 Django Add Test View

Test views with different data before production:

def test(request):
    return render(request, 'test.html', {'data': 'Test Mode'})

Use for debugging and temporary checks.

📌 Summary – Recap & Next Steps

🧩 Views connect Python logic to user interfaces
🧭 URLs define routing paths
🖼️ Templates render dynamic HTML
🗃️ Models handle database structure and operations
🧱 Base templates improve code reuse and page consistency

⚙️ These core concepts build the heart of any Django-powered web app.

❓ FAQs – Core Django Concepts

❓ What’s the difference between a view and a template in Django?
✅ A view handles logic and data, while a template is responsible for rendering HTML content shown to users.

❓ How do Django URLs work?
✅ Django maps each URL pattern to a specific view. You define them in urls.py.

❓ Why should I use a base template?
✅ It helps keep a consistent layout (like headers/footers) and avoids duplicating code.

❓ How do I customize 404 error pages in Django?
✅ Create a 404.html template and ensure DEBUG = False in settings for it to display.

❓ What is the purpose of test views?
✅ Test views help in debugging and ensuring templates render correctly during development.

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