Intro to Django Concepts

Learning objective: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain what Django is and its benefits.

What is Django?

Django is by far the most popular Python-based web framework, and its popularity continues to grow thanks to the growth of Python itself.

Django was publicly released in 2005 and was named by one of its creators, Adrian Holovaty, after his favorite guitarist, Django Reinhardt.

Django is specifically engineered to develop highly secure web applications rapidly. It provides a rich set of tools and features that streamline the creation of complex, data-driven sites. Django follows the “batteries-included” philosophy, meaning it includes built-in solutions for many of the common challenges in web development, such as user authentication, site maps, and content administration.

These components are designed to work together seamlessly, which allows developers to focus on the unique features of their web applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.

Why use Django?

Django stands out from minimalist frameworks like Express by offering robust features that streamline the development of complex web applications.

Here are some key advantages of using Django:

• Object-relational mapper (ORM): Django’s ORM provides a high-level abstraction, allowing developers to interact with databases using Python rather than SQL. This enables developers to write database queries using Python code, making it simpler to create, retrieve, update, and delete database entries.
• Built-in administrative interface: Django includes a ready-to-use admin interface that allows developers and site administrators to manage database data through a web interface. This powerful tool facilitates quick interactions with databases right out of the box.
• Comprehensive user authentication: Its user authentication system handles user accounts, groups, permissions, and cookie-based user sessions. This built-in capability makes it easier to develop secure sites and reduces the amount of code developers need to write.
• A rich ecosystem of tools and libraries: Django provides numerous built-in features for common web development needs, such as sending emails, generating RSS feeds, and managing content in various languages.
• Strong community and documentation: Django benefits from extensive, well-maintained documentation and a large, active community. This network provides substantial support for troubleshooting, sharing knowledge, and extending the capabilities of your applications through third-party packages.