Learning Django 5: Program web apps with complete django capabilities, ORM, Template, MongoDB and Docker containerization

By Clara Stein

Beginning with a thorough introduction to Django 5, you'll learn how to install and configure Django on a Linux server, set up virtual environments, and create your first Django project, BookTech. The

• Language: English
• Publisher: GitforGits
• Release date: Jun 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9788119177356

Book preview

Learning Django 5

Program web apps with complete django capabilities, ORM, Template, MongoDB and Docker containerization

Clara Stein

Preface

Learning Django 5 is intended to help Python programmers, aspiring full stack developers, and web developers build robust and scalable web applications quickly and efficiently. with a basic understanding of Python scripting. Hands-on labs and interactive tasks are used throughout the book to help you practice and apply the concepts as you learn.

Beginning with a thorough introduction to Django 5, you'll learn how to install and configure Django on a Linux server, set up virtual environments, and create your first Django project, BookTech. The book walks you through the fundamentals of Django models and ORM, teaching you how to define models, perform database migrations, and interact with the ORM to optimize data querying. You will learn about Django views, including function-based and class-based views, URL mapping, and form handling. The templates section will show you how to create and inherit templates, use template tags and filters, and pass data to templates for dynamic rendering.

Advanced topics are thoroughly covered, including user authentication, permission management, and extending the default user model. You'll also learn how to use essential features like site maps, RSS feeds, and SEO optimization to boost your app's visibility and user engagement. The book then goes over deployment and scaling, teaching you how to containerize your application with Docker, deploy to cloud platforms like AWS, and set up continuous integration and deployment pipelines in Jenkins. You will learn how to maintain and monitor your application with tools such as Amazon CloudWatch, New Relic, and Sentry, ensuring that it runs smoothly in production.

In this book you will learn how to:

Comprehensive Django setup with step-by-step installation and configuration of Django 5.

Mastering models and ORM to define models and interact with databases efficiently.

Understand and implement both function-based and class-based views seamlessly.

Perform dynamic template rendering wherein you create, inherit, and customize templates for dynamic web content.

Achieve robust user authentication by implementing secure user registration, login, and permission management.

Learn SEO skills to optimize your site for search engines with site maps and SEO best practices.

Up and running with docker and containerization to containerize your apps for consistent deployment across environments.

Learn to deploy applications on AWS with detailed, practical walkthrough.

Set up and configure Jenkins pipelines for automated testing and deployment.

Use tools like CloudWatch and Sentry for application performance and error tracking.

Prologue

It is with much pleasure that I greet you and invite you to Learning Django 5; my name is Clara Stein. This book is intended for seasoned Python programmers, web developers looking to expand their skill set, and newcomers eager to dive into the world of web development. In this book, I will demystify Django 5 and demonstrate how to use this powerful framework to create robust, scalable web applications with ease and efficiency. Django's simplicity and power have captivated me since the moment I discovered it. Django's batteries-included philosophy means that it ships with many tools and features out of the box, allowing developers to focus on writing code rather than reinventing the wheel. With Django 5, the framework has become even more powerful and user-friendly, making it ideal for creating modern web applications.

We begin our journey by installing Django on a Linux system. I'll walk you through the installation process, configure virtual environments, and create your first Django project. Our sample application, BookTech, will be our constant companion throughout the book, giving us a real-world context in which to apply what we've learned. This hands-on approach allows you to immediately see the practical applications of each concept.

Understanding the fundamentals of Django is critical, so we'll begin by delving into Django models and ORM. You'll learn how to define models, perform database migrations, and work with the ORM to achieve efficient data querying. These skills are the foundation of any Django application, allowing you to handle data with confidence and precision. As we progress, you'll learn about the power of Django views and URL routing. We will look at both function-based and class-based views, giving you the freedom to choose the best approach for your projects. Mapping URLs to views and managing forms within views will become second nature to you, allowing you to create dynamic, responsive web applications.

Templates are the foundation of any web application's front end, and I'll demonstrate how to create and customize them effectively. From basic template creation to advanced techniques such as template inheritance and custom tags, you will learn how to render dynamic content beautifully and efficiently. User authentication and authorization are critical components of any application, and Django excels at these tasks. We will implement secure user registration, login, and permission management to make your applications both user-friendly and secure. You'll also learn how to customize the default user model to meet your specific requirements.

We'll discuss SEO and visibility strategies to help your application stand out in a crowded web landscape. You'll learn how to create site maps, configure RSS feeds, and use SEO best practices to boost your site's search engine ranking and user engagement. Deployment and scaling can be daunting tasks, but I'll walk you through them step by step. You'll learn how to use Docker to containerize your application, deploy it to AWS, and configure Jenkins for continuous integration and deployment pipelines. These skills are essential for ensuring consistent and dependable deployments in production environments.

Finally, maintaining and monitoring your application is critical to its long-term success. We'll use tools like Amazon CloudWatch, New Relic, and Sentry to track performance and errors, ensuring that your application runs smoothly and efficiently.

Learning Django 5 is more than just a technical reference; it takes you on an educational trip through the heart of Django web development. My goal is to give you the knowledge and confidence to create exceptional web applications. So, let's get started and make your ideas a reality with Django 5.

Copyright © 2024 by GitforGits

All rights reserved. This book is protected under copyright laws and no part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or transmission of this work may result in civil and criminal penalties and will be dealt with in the respective jurisdiction at anywhere in India, in accordance with the applicable copyright laws.

Published by: GitforGits

Publisher: Sonal Dhandre

www.gitforgits.com

[e-mail]

Printed in India

First Printing: June 2024

Cover Design by: Kitten Publishing

For permission to use material from this book, please contact GitforGits at [e-mail].

Content

Preface

GitforGits

Acknowledgement

Chapter 1: Up and Running with Django 5

Introduction

Welcome to Django

Key Features of Django 5

Asynchronous Support

QuerySet Enhancements

Enhanced Forms and Views

Improved Security

Admin Interface Improvements

Support for Newer Python Versions

Why Django for Web Development?

Popular Applications built using Django

Instagram

Pinterest

Mozilla

Disqus

The Washington Post

Bitbucket

Prezi

Diving Deeper into Django’s Capabilities

Setting up Django Environment

Prerequisites for Linux

Installing Python

Setting up Virtual Environments

Installing Django 5

Creating Your First Django ‘BookTech’ Project

Understanding Project Structure

manage.py

BookTech/

Running the Development Server

Troubleshooting Installation Issues

Virtual Environments

Why Virtual Environments?

Creating and Activating Virtual Environments

Navigating Files and Directories

manage.py

settings.py

urls.py

asgi.py and wsgi.py

Practicing Navigation and Modifications

Adding a New App

Registering the App

Defining URLs for the App

Creating a Simple View

Running the Server

Accessing the App

Running the Development Server

Overview

Launching the Development Server

Server Configuration and Customization

Accessing the Application

Interacting with Application

URL Configuration

View Configuration

Access the View

Development Server Output

Server Startup

Requests Handling

Summary

Test Your Knowledge

Chapter 2: Django Models and ORM

Introduction

Defining Models

What Models Mean in Django?

Creating a Model

Navigate to the BookTech App Directory

Create the Library App

Define the Book Model

Register the Model with the Admin Site

Migrate the Database

Create and Query Book Instances

Database Migrations

Applying Migrations to the Database

Generate Migrations

Apply Migrations

Managing Database Schema Changes

Adding a New Field to a Model

Modifying an Existing Field

Removing a Field

Renaming a Field

Reverting Migrations

Sample Program: Managing Migration to Model Updates

Interacting with ORM

What is ORM in Django?

Performing Queries with Django ORM

Setting up the Environment

Entering the Django Shell

Creating Records

Retrieving Records

Updating Records

Deleting Records

Complex Queries

Using Custom Methods

Relationships and Foreign Keys

Understanding Foreign Keys and related Terms

Building a Relational Model

Create the Author Model

Include a Foreign Key to Author

Create the Publisher Model

Include a Many-to-Many Relationship with Publisher

Create and Apply Migrations

Register the Models with the Admin Site

Creating and Querying Related Instances

Custom Model Methods

Overview

Adding Custom Methods to Existing Model

Adding a Custom Method to the Book Model

Adding a Custom Method to the Author Model

Adding a Custom Method to the Publisher Model

Using Custom Methods

Adding a Custom Method to Retrieve Related Data

Hands-on Lab: Create and query a book catalog

Define Models

Apply Migrations

Populate Database with Sample Data

Query the Book Catalog

Desired Output

Summary

Test Your Knowledge

Chapter 3: Views and URL Routing

Introduction

Understanding Views

Introduction to Views in Django

Function-Based Views (FBVs)

Class-Based Views (CBVs)

Applicability of Function-Based and Class-Based Views

Sample Program: Function-based View for List of Books

Book List View

Book Detail View

Sample Program: Class-based View for List of Books

Book List View

Book Detail View

Mapping URLs to Views

Overview

Setting up URL Configurations

Project-level URL Configuration

App-level URL Configuration

Define URL Patterns for Function-Based Views

Define URL Patterns for Class-Based Views

Combining Function-Based and Class-Based Views

Testing the URL Configurations

Dynamic Routing

Concept of Dynamic Routing

Sample Program: Creating URLs with Dynamic Content

Setting up Models

Creating Views with Dynamic Routing

Defining URL Patterns with Dynamic Segments

Creating Templates for Dynamic Content

Testing Dynamic Routing

Creating View to List Books with Links to Dynamic Routes

Expanding Dynamic Routing with Complex URLs

Handling Forms in Views

Overview

Setting up a Form

Creating a Form Class

Creating the View to Handle the Form

Defining URL Pattern for the View

Creating the Template for the Form

Validating Form Data

Handling Multiple Form Types in a Single View

View Decorators

Overview

Understanding Django View Decorators

Using a Single Decorator

Update View with a Decorator

Using Multiple Decorators

Update View with Multiple Decorators

Creating Custom Decorators

Creating a Custom Decorator

Applying Custom Decorator to a View

Interactive Task

Define the Models

Create Views for Book List and Book Detail

Book List View

Book Detail View

Define URL Patterns

Create Templates

Book List Template

Book Detail Template

Enhancing Views with Class-Based Views

Book List View

Book Detail View

Update URL Patterns

Summary

Test Your Knowledge

Chapter 4: Templates and Django's Template Language

Introduction

Creating Templates

Overview

Setting up Django Templates

Configure Template Settings

Create Template Directory

Create a Base Template

Create Child Templates

Update Views to Use Templates

Styling with CSS

Template Tags and Filters

Overview

Built-in Template Tags

{% for %}

{% if %}

{% block %} and {% extends %}

{% include %}

Built-in Template Filters

Date

Length

Truncatechars

lower and upper

Custom Template Tags and Filters

Creating Custom Filters

Using Custom Filters in Templates

Creating Custom Tags

Using Custom Tags in Templates

Context and Rendering

Rendering Templates with Context

Sample Program: Rendering Templates in BookTech

Updating the Book List View

Updating the Book Detail View

Context Processors

Creating a Context Processor

Registering the Context Processor

Using Context Processor in Templates

Rendering Multiple Context Variables

Hands-on Lab: Design Book Listing and Detail Page

Define the Models

Create Views for Book List and Detail Pages

Book List View

Book Detail View

Define URL Patterns

Create Templates

Book List Template

Book Detail Template

Add Sample Data

Using Django Shell

Summary

Test Your Knowledge

Chapter 5: Forms and Validation

Introduction

Creating Forms

Introduction to Forms in Django

Building and Displaying Regular Forms

Creating a Form Class

Displaying the Form in a View

Creating Templates for the Form

Defining URL Patterns for the Form

Building and Displaying Model Forms

Displaying the Model Form in a View

Creating a Template for the Model Form

Defining URL Patterns for the Model Form

Form Validation

Built-in Validation

Basic Form with Built-in Validation

Displaying Validation Errors

Custom Validation

Custom Field Validation

Custom Form-wide Validation

Validating Model Forms

Custom Validation in Model Forms

Using the Validated Model Form

Model Forms

Overview

Creating Model Forms

Defining a Model Form

Displaying the Model Form in a View

Creating a Template for the Model Form

Defining URL Patterns for the Model Form

Customizing Model Forms

Customizing Form Fields

Displaying the Customized Model Form

Custom Validation

Custom Validation for Individual Fields

Custom Validation for Multiple Fields

Using the Custom Validated Form

View for Handling the Custom Validated Form

Template for Displaying the Custom Validated Form

Additional Custom Validation

Ensuring Unique Combination of Title and Author

Summary

Test Your Knowledge

Answer: b) By overriding the form’s clean method and checking the combinationChapter 6: User Authentication and Authorization

Introduction

User Management

Django for User Management

Setting up User Registration and Authentication

Creating the User Registration Form

Creating the User Registration View

Creating the Registration Template

Updating URLs

Creating the Login View

Creating a Logout View

Login, Logout and Password Management

Setting up the Login Functionality

Creating the Login View

Creating the Login Template

Configuring the Login Redirect URL

Setting up the Logout Functionality

Creating the Logout Template

Adding Links to Login and Logout

Updating the Base Template

Password Management

Password Change

Password Reset

Permissions and Groups

Managing User Permissions

Assigning Permissions to Users

Checking Permissions in Views

Using the has_perm Method

Managing Groups

Creating and Managing Groups

Assigning Users to Groups

Checking Group Membership

Advanced Group Permissions

Custom Group Permissions

Assigning Custom Permissions to Groups

Checking Custom Permissions in Views

Custom User Models

Necessity of Custom User Models

Customizing Default User Model

Creating a Custom User Model

Updating Settings

Creating User Forms

Admin Configuration

Migrating the Database

Updating User Registration

Interactive Project: Build a user profile and access control system

Creating the User Profile Model

Define the UserProfile Model

Signal to Create/Update User Profile

Creating Forms for User Profile

UserProfile Form

Creating Views and Templates

Views to Display and Edit Profiles

Templates for Displaying and Editing Profiles

Updating URLs

Implementing Access Control

Create Groups and Permissions

Summary

Test Your Knowledge

Chapter 7: Advanced Django Capabilities

Introduction

Middleware

What is Middleware?

Types of Middleware

Creating Custom Middleware in BookTech

Define the Middleware Class

Add the Middleware to Settings

Configure Logging

Middleware for Custom Functionality

Define the Middleware Class

Testing the Middleware

Signals

Concept of Signal and Handler Mechanism

Key Components of Django Signals

Using Signals to Connect Components

Create the Signal Handler

Connect Signal in the App Configuration

Custom Signals

Create a Custom Signal

Send the Custom Signal

Handle the Custom Signal

Configure Logging

Caching

Types of Caching

Implementing Caching in BookTech

Setting up Caching in Django

Using Low-Level Cache API

Template Fragment Caching

View-Level Caching

Using Memcached for In-Memory Caching

Advanced Cache Usage

Asynchronous Views

Benefits of Asynchronous Views