Django is a high-level Python web framework that simplifies the process of building robust and scalable web applications. If you're new to Django and eager to embark on your journey of web development, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of creating your first Django project.
Before diving into Django, make sure you have the following prerequisites installed on your machine:
Python: Django is a Python web framework, so you'll need Python installed. You can download it from Python's official website.
PIP: PIP is the package installer for Python. It usually comes pre-installed with Python. You can check if you have it by running pip --version in your terminal.
Open your terminal and run the following command to install Django using PIP:
pip install django
This command will fetch and install the latest version of Django on your machine.
Once Django is installed, you can create your first project. In your terminal, navigate to the directory where you want to create your project and run the following command:
django-admin startproject myproject
Replace "myproject" with the desired name for your project. This command creates a new directory with the specified project name and sets up the basic structure for a Django project.
Move into the project directory using the cd command:
cd myproject
Django comes with a development server that allows you to preview your application during development. Start the server with the following command:
python manage.py runserver
This command will start the development server, and you should see output indicating that the server is running. By default, it will be accessible at http://127.0.0.1:8000/ in your web browser.
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Django projects are composed of one or more apps. An app is a self-contained module that encapsulates the functionality of your project. To create an app, run the following command:
python manage.py startapp myapp
Replace "myapp" with the desired name for your app. This command will generate the necessary files and directories for your app.
Django uses a database to store and retrieve data. Open the settings.py file in your project folder and locate the DATABASES section. Configure the database settings according to your needs. The default configuration uses SQLite, which is convenient for development.
DATABASES = {
'default': {
'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
'NAME': BASE_DIR / "db.sqlite3",
}
}
Django uses migrations to manage database schema changes. Run the following commands to apply migrations and create the initial database:
python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate
To interact with the Django admin interface, create a superuser account by running the following command and following the prompts:
python manage.py createsuperuser
Start the development server again (python manage.py runserver) and navigate to http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/. Log in with the superuser credentials you just created. The Django admin interface allows you to manage your application's data.
Congratulations! You've successfully created your first Django project. From here, you can start building your web application by defining models, creating views, and designing templates. Explore the official Django documentation for in-depth guidance on Django development.
Happy coding!