Django Course Notes

Introduction to Django

• Learn to build websites from the ground up using Django.
• Starting as absolute beginners.
• Focus on core features of Django: rendering templates, working with databases, authentication, and search.
• Project is similar to a Discord clone for study groups.

Course Structure

• Basics of Django and building a simple website.
• Adding features to enhance the application.
• Final product demo available at studybud.dev.

Prerequisites

• Basic understanding of Python syntax (variables, loops, functions, classes).
• Basic knowledge of HTML and CSS.

What is Django?

• Python-based web framework used for back-end development.
• Fast web development with pre-configured structure ("batteries included" approach).
• Follows MVT design pattern (Model View Template).
• Comparison to other frameworks:
  • Flask (lightweight, more customizable, less opinionated)
  • Ruby on Rails (similar to Django)
  • Laravel (similar for PHP)

Features of Django

• Great for building various applications (e-commerce sites, social networks, APIs).
• Many well-known companies use Django (Pinterest, Spotify, Dropbox, etc.).

Setting Up Django Environment

• Ensure the latest version of Python is installed.
• Create a virtual environment for Django projects.
• Install Django using pip.

Django Project Setup

• Start a new Django project using django-admin startproject <project_name>.
• Create a Django app using python manage.py startapp <app_name>.

Creating Models

• Define models in models.py for the database (e.g., Room, Message).
• Use Django's built-in ORM to manage database interactions (create, read, update, delete).

User Authentication

• Users can register, log in, and log out.
• Use Django's built-in authentication system.
• Create a user profile with additional fields (name, bio, avatar).

Templates

• Use Django's template engine for dynamic HTML rendering.
• Create components for reusability (e.g., Activity Feed, Topic List).

API Creation

• Install Django REST framework for building APIs.
• Create views for providing JSON responses.
• Use serializers to convert model instances to JSON format.

User Profile

• Create views for displaying user profiles and their activities.
• Allow users to update their profiles and view their messages.

Styling and Themes

• Use external themes for styling.
• Incorporate CSS and JavaScript files.
• Learn to manage static files (images, stylesheets).

Final Touches

• Ensure all links are correctly routed.
• Allow users to search through rooms and participants.
• Finalize user experience with proper redirects and error handling.

Conclusion

• Complete understanding of Django and web development basics.
• Ability to build and enhance web applications using Django.