3.6. HELP! Django Shortcut

The Django tutorial from this week is pretty complicated. Add in the other changes from my lab and there’s a lot that can go wrong. If you find yourself stuck without a way to move forward you can download and use a tested copy of the source.

These instructions take the place of:

• 3.3. Start a Django Application

• 3.4. Add a Route

• 3.5. Configuration with Environment Variables

Important

The working directory should be the root of your project repository. If you used the default repo name this command takes you there:

$ cd ~/cis-92            # For Cloud Shell 
$ cd /workspaces/cis-92  # For devcontainers  

Setup Python

Note

This lab assumes that you have the virtual environment you created in the 3.2. A Flask Application lab. Please complete that lab before you start this one

Confirm that you see (.venv) in your prompt. If not activate the virtual environment like this:

$ source ./.venv/bin/activate

Notice that your prompt changes.

With your environment activated you use the pip package manager to install Django:

$ pip install Django==6.0.1

Now Django is installed.

Git and Python Apps

Python creates temporary files that aren’t supposed to be checked in. When you have files that you never want to check in you specify their patterns in a file called .gitignore in the root of your repository. Before you create or run a Pyhton app you should have these ignore patterns:

venv*/ 
.venv/ 
*.pyc
*.sqlite3

Donwload My Django App (and Remove Yours)

Here are steps to get you setup in your development environment:

1. If you have a djangotutorial directory, remove it (or move it if you like):

   $ rm -rf djangotutorial
   

2. Download and extract my reference copy:

   $ curl https://www.lifealgorithmic.com/_downloads/cda4d028b49e416ece3087ffee5344fd/djangotutorial.tar.gz | gunzip -c - | tar -xvf -  
   

   This will create a new djangotutorial directory with no database and no migrations.

3. Make migrations and initialize the database:

   $ cd djangotutorial 
   $ python3 ./manage.py makemigrations
   $ python3 ./manage.py migrate
   

4. Create and administrator account:

   $ python3 ./manage.py createsuperuser 
   

5. Start the server and confirm you can see the front page and login:

   $ export DEBUG=1 
   $ python3 ./manage.py runserver