Setting Up Django

Learn how to install Django, create your first project, and understand the project structure.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Python 3.8+ installed
• Basic knowledge of Python
• Command line/terminal access
• A code editor (VS Code, PyCharm, etc.)

Check Python Version

python --version
# or
python3 --version

Should show Python 3.8 or higher.

Virtual Environments

Always use a virtual environment to isolate project dependencies.

Create Virtual Environment

Windows:

python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

macOS/Linux:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

You'll see (venv) in your terminal prompt when activated.

Deactivate Virtual Environment

deactivate

Installing Django

Install Django

pip install django

Install Specific Version

pip install django==4.2.7

Verify Installation

python -m django --version

Should display the Django version (e.g., 4.2.7).

Creating Your First Project

Create Project

django-admin startproject myproject

This creates a directory structure:

myproject/
    manage.py
    myproject/
        __init__.py
        settings.py
        urls.py
        wsgi.py
        asgi.py

Navigate to Project

cd myproject

Run Development Server

python manage.py runserver

Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/ in your browser. You should see the Django welcome page!

Stop Server

Press Ctrl+C in the terminal.

Project Structure Explained

manage.py

Command-line utility for Django:

python manage.py runserver    # Start development server
python manage.py migrate      # Apply database migrations
python manage.py createsuperuser  # Create admin user
python manage.py shell        # Open Django shell

settings.py

Main configuration file:

# settings.py

# Secret key (keep secret in production!)
SECRET_KEY = 'your-secret-key-here'

# Debug mode (set to False in production)
DEBUG = True

# Allowed hosts
ALLOWED_HOSTS = []

# Installed apps
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
]

# Database configuration
DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
        'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
    }
}

# URL configuration
ROOT_URLCONF = 'myproject.urls'

# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, images)
STATIC_URL = '/static/'

urls.py

URL routing configuration:

# myproject/urls.py
from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path

urlpatterns = [
    path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
]

wsgi.py / asgi.py

Server configuration files (usually don't need to modify).

Creating Your First App

Django projects contain apps. Each app handles a specific feature.

Create App

python manage.py startapp myapp

This creates:

myapp/
    __init__.py
    admin.py
    apps.py
    migrations/
        __init__.py
    models.py
    tests.py
    views.py

Register App

Add your app to INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py:

# settings.py
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'myapp',  # Add your app here
]

App Structure Explained

models.py

Define your data models:

# myapp/models.py
from django.db import models

class Post(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=200)
    content = models.TextField()
    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)

views.py

Handle requests and return responses:

# myapp/views.py
from django.shortcuts import render
from django.http import HttpResponse

def index(request):
    return HttpResponse("Hello, World!")

admin.py

Configure Django admin interface:

# myapp/admin.py
from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Post

admin.site.register(Post)

urls.py (Create this file)

URL routing for your app:

# myapp/urls.py
from django.urls import path
from . import views

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

Setting Up URLs

Include App URLs in Project

# myproject/urls.py
from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path, include

urlpatterns = [
    path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
    path('', include('myapp.urls')),  # Include app URLs
]

Database Setup

Django uses SQLite by default (good for development).

Create Initial Migrations

python manage.py makemigrations

Apply Migrations

python manage.py migrate

This creates the database tables Django needs.

Creating a Superuser

Create an admin user to access Django admin:

python manage.py createsuperuser

Follow prompts to create username, email, and password.

Access admin at: http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/

Your First View

Create View

# myapp/views.py
from django.http import HttpResponse

def index(request):
    return HttpResponse("Hello, Django!")

Create URL Pattern

# myapp/urls.py
from django.urls import path
from . import views

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

Include in Project URLs

# myproject/urls.py
from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path, include

urlpatterns = [
    path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
    path('', include('myapp.urls')),
]

Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/ - you should see "Hello, Django!"

Development Server Options

Run on Different Port

python manage.py runserver 8080

Run on All Interfaces

python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000

Auto-reload

The development server automatically reloads when you change code. No need to restart manually!

Complete Setup Example

Step-by-Step

# 1. Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # or venv\Scripts\activate on Windows

# 2. Install Django
pip install django

# 3. Create project
django-admin startproject myblog
cd myblog

# 4. Create app
python manage.py startapp blog

# 5. Register app in settings.py
# Add 'blog' to INSTALLED_APPS

# 6. Run migrations
python manage.py migrate

# 7. Create superuser
python manage.py createsuperuser

# 8. Run server
python manage.py runserver

Common Setup Issues

Issue: Command Not Found

Problem: django-admin not found

Solution:

python -m django startproject myproject
# or
python3 -m django startproject myproject

Issue: Port Already in Use

Problem: Port 8000 already in use

Solution:

python manage.py runserver 8001

Issue: Migration Errors

Problem: Database migration errors

Solution:

# Delete db.sqlite3 and migrations folder
# Then:
python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate

Best Practices

1. Always use virtual environments: Isolate dependencies
2. Keep DEBUG=False in production: Security risk if True
3. Never commit SECRET_KEY: Use environment variables
4. Use version control: Git for your projects
5. Follow naming conventions: Lowercase with underscores
6. One app, one purpose: Keep apps focused

Project Checklist

After setup, verify:

• [ ] Virtual environment created and activated
• [ ] Django installed and verified
• [ ] Project created successfully
• [ ] App created and registered
• [ ] Migrations applied
• [ ] Development server runs
• [ ] Admin interface accessible
• [ ] First view working

What's Next?

Now that Django is set up, learn to:

• Create Models - Define your data structure
• Work with Databases - Store and retrieve data
• Create Views - Handle user requests
• Build Templates - Create dynamic HTML pages
• Handle Forms - Process user input

---

Previous Tutorial: Introduction to Django
Next Tutorial: Models and Databases