Django Framework – What You Need To Know

Introduction

Django describes itself as “the web framework for perfectionists with deadlines” and this is a fairly accurate description.

Released in 2005 and implemented in Python it’s still popular with an ever-growing community. They encourage users to implement the things that already work, rather than trying to build everything from scratch. Most of these components come from their gigantic community.

Simple web applications can be made in record time but that doesn’t exclude complicated projects. The sheer amount of information and resources on Django means it is suitable for almost every application imaginable. Python is the perfect coding language for making coding more accessible since it’s by far the easiest to learn and implement.

It’s a robust language and it can be used for just about anything. Commonly used features such as authentication and site maps are already waiting for you – this cuts out hours of unnecessary time coding something that already exists.

Django’s popularity

Python’s popularity is going up as of late and this is largely connected with AI and machine learning being adopted by many big companies. This means Django’s popularity has been growing with it, making the world of Python a lot more accessible.

Django is the most popular framework in Python for building web applications – it’s worth checking out some of the pros and cons of Django, if you haven’t already. It offers a flexible way of separating context and business logic since each layer has a different use, called the Model View Template (MVT) pattern, which is a slightly modified version of the Model View Controller (MVC) pattern.

Why is it used so often?

There are a lot of reasons why Django is the most used framework in Python.

Django massively speeds up the development process as it includes its own Object Relational Mapping (ORM) layer for handling database access, sessions, routing, and multi-language support.

Django also has its own security system that includes the prevention of common attacks like Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and SQL Injections. This immediately takes care of basic security concerns and speeds up the development process even further.

It is also flexible – scaling up or down to compensate for site traffic is done easily even with heavy traffic demands.

A “somewhat opinionated” framework

Django is a “somewhat opinionated” framework – when a framework considers itself opinionated or unopinionated it is the difference between thinking that there is a right way to do things or not.

An opinionated framework has the “correct way” of doing something, this restricts the user by forcing them to use that system definition of “correct” or it won’t function correctly. This can help when it comes to not wanting to mix multiple systems.

But it can be hard if that’s not the goal of the user – these frameworks give the user free rein to use whatever system works best for them. Without the guide rails, it can be harder for beginners to use.

Django sits somewhere in the middle as it has a set number of components the user can access but these need to be applied in the right way for them to work since they are prebuilt. Other than some predefined components the user has complete freedom.

What are components?

Some of the components that you can add are things such as forms and logins – elements that don’t need to be specific to your site.

They also have a range of templates you can add for things like administrative powers as well as changing the language of the site or the currency used. All these things are simple lines of code that are the same in every site that uses them.

Being able to simply add the entire chunk to your work cuts out a huge amount of time and makes the entire process easier – it also gives beginners access to features they may not have been able to implement all on their own.

Set Backs

Django isn’t perfect, just like Python – websites created may not be optimized for all devices and can be slow loading or just slightly clunky to view.

They do have their own benchmarks for speed and Django will give you a heads up when the application you’ve created isn’t working properly. But when it comes to a final speed test, you may want to go elsewhere to get a second opinion. It’s not particularly hard to do but will add some time to the development process.

To get around this, ensure a stable architecture from the get-go as this should save you a lot of problems with speed in the future. Django powers huge web applications – experiencing speed issues is not a problem of Django itself, but rather a problem with what you created using the Django framework.

Is It Right For You?

When it comes to very small sites, you may want to use Flask rather than Django. Django has the tools to create giant web applications, all these tools are overkill for a tiny one-page site. Always choose the right tool for the job.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Django is the most used framework for good reason, and the amount of information online about how to use Django is mind-boggling.

From their own page of tutorials to hundreds of youtube videos. Not to mention their own community that can help with almost any question imaginable. All of this information makes Django one of the easiest frameworks to get into.

And as their population grows, so does the amount being written about them – so no matter how you best understand things, there will be a Django tutorial for you. This only makes Django more popular and the cycle continues. From the moment you install the program, there is help and instructions guiding you through the process. For as long as Python exists, it seems Django will too.