What Is Python Django?

Python Django: Courses, Training, and Other Resources

How to Learn Python Django

If you somehow haven’t heard, Python has risen to become one of the most popular programming languages in the world, for both professional developers and beginners alike. It manages at once to be both an outstanding tool for intensive tasks like machine learning or artificial intelligence, and a great first language.

In this piece we’re going to discuss one of the most popular web-development frameworks for python: Django.

What is Python Django?

Python Django is an open-source web framework. It is used to create full-stack web applications using the Python programming language. Django was built to make it easy to create secure and robust websites.

Django is an extensible and flexible framework. This means that you should have no trouble shaping Django to fit your needs. Everything from simple blogs to full eCommerce sites have been developed using the Django framework.

Django was written with security in mind. As a result, you’ll find a lot of security features built-in to Django. This means that safeguarding against common web attacks is easy using Django. For instance, Django comes with a session management suite so you do not need to implement authentication from scratch.

What is Python Django Used For?

Python Django is used for web application development. It is such a powerful framework that companies like Instagram, the Washington Post, and Dropbox have all used Django in their applications.

Django is used for full-stack web development. This is because Django lets you serve up HTML and process the back-end of a website.

You’ll use Django to store all the templates that users will see. Then, you’ll use Django to decide what pages should be served and what data should appear on those pages.

Here are a few examples of projects you could build with Django:

• An eCommerce sales site
• A social network
• A to-do list application

The possibilities are endless. Because Django is so comprehensive, you should have no trouble building a web application using the framework.

Learning Python Django

Python Django was initially released in 2005. It has become massively popular since then. This means that there are plenty of resources on the internet to which you can refer as you start to learn Django.

What’s more, Django is still being updated. This means that you can count on lots of recent tutorials and documentation being available. If you have a question about a modern feature, it should not take long to find an answer.

How Long Does it Take to Learn Python Django?

It will take you about three months to master the basics of Django. But, you could create your first Django application within a day of getting started.

To get started with Django, you’ll need a solid understanding of the Python programming language. If you are new to Python, you should expect to spend at least a month or two learning the basics.

You’ll probably want to learn Python for at least three to four months before moving on to Django so you can be sure you know what you need to know. You don’t want to start learning frameworks before you are comfortable coding in vanilla Python.

If you already know Python, learning Django will take less time. Assuming you study for an hour a day, you can expect to spend three months learning how to use Django. If you study part-time or full-time, you can expect to pick up Django quicker.

How to Learn Python Django: Step-by-Step

What is your first move? How should you get started learning Django? These are great questions. Because Django is a framework, you do not need to worry about learning a new language. Everything you learn will build upon your existing knowledge of the Python language.

Here are the broad steps you should follow to learn Django:

1. Master the basics of Python. No developer should go on to learn a framework before they know the language on which that framework is built. This is because Django relies heavily on a range of Python concepts with which you’ll need to be familiar to use Django.
2. Start learning Django. Take time to follow an online course or a few tutorials that cover Python Django. Write down notes from the resources you use and try to practice the skills you acquire.
3. Build a project. Once you’ve started learning Django, you should try to create a simple project. Your first project may be a site with one page. This will help you get familiar with the basics of Django.
4. Create a more advanced application. When you feel comfortable, you should start a project that involves more complicated features. For instance, you may want to create a blog or a sign-in interface. These projects will push your knowledge of Django.

The best attribute you can have when learning Django is dedication. You’re going to encounter challenges along the way. That is a natural part of the learning journey. But, if you keep going, you’ll be able to look back in a few months and say proudly that you know Django.

The Best Python Django Courses and Trainings

Given the extensive history of the framework, it is no surprise that there are plenty of learning resources on the internet. While some courses do charge money, you’ll find plenty of free Django courses online.

Below we cover some of the top courses that you may want to consider looking at as you begin to learn Python Django.

Online Django Courses

Django for Everybody Specialization by the University of Michigan

• Provider: Coursera
• Cost: Free
• Audience: Beginners

This online course teaches how to build a website using the Django framework. You’ll start with a brief introduction to concepts like HTML, CSS, and how they work together. Then, you’ll go deep into using the Django framework.

By the end of this course, you will have worked on a simple web project using Django. The web project you’ll build is a classified ads website.

Django: Getting Started

• Provider: Pluralsight
• Cost: Pluralsight membership ($24 / month)
• Audience: Beginners

In Django: Getting Started, you’ll learn how to create a simple web application using Django. You’ll first create a web page that displays a message. Then, you’ll learn about templating and serving web resources over Django. You’ll then cover databases and styling.

By the end of this course, you’ll have developed a keen understanding of Django and have a few examples of Django code to which you can refer.

Python and Django Full-Stack Web Developer Bootcamp

• Provider: Udemy
• Cost: $85.00
• Audience: Beginners

This course will teach you how to create a website using Django. You’ll start by creating the basic HTML and CSS you need for your project. Then, you’ll learn about using JavaScript to interact with the front-end.

Once you’ve built a front-end, you will use Django to implement a back-end for your website using the model-view-template structure.

This course comes with 32 hours of video to follow which means that you’ll have plenty of guidance as you start to learn Django.

Online Django Books

Django for Beginners by William S. Vincent

Django for Beginners is a complete introduction to building websites with Django. This book will walk you through five interactive web projects that will help you master Django, from a blog to a newspaper website.

In this book, you’ll learn how to write tests for your websites, implement authentication, and add permissions. You’ll also learn about accepted best practices on security so you can build secure web applications.

Tango with Django by Leif Azzopardi and David Maxwell

Tango with Django has been accessed more than two million times since its release. It is even used at the University of Glasgow as part of their web development curriculum.

In this book, you’ll learn the basics of Django. You’ll work your way through building a web application called Rango. This site is a directory with different categories and links. By the end of reading this book, you’ll have created a complete Django application.

Two Scoops of Django by Audrey and Daniel Roy Greenfield

Two Scoops of Django is perfect for someone who already knows the basics of Django and wants to extend their knowledge. In this book, you’ll find dozens of code snippets and tips that will help you write more efficient and sleek web applications with Django.

This book covers topics from coding styles to best practices using templates to logging your web application.

Online Django Resources

Get Started with Django by RealPython

Get Started with Django is a multi-part online Python Django tutorial. In this tutorial, you’ll work your way through the basics that you need to know about Django. To start, you’ll create a hello world application.

As you progress through these tutorials, you’ll cover topics like models, views, and user management.

Official Django Getting Started Tutorial

Django is extensively documentated. On their website, you’ll find a seven-part guide on how to create your first Django app. In this guide, you’ll cover everything from initializing an application to handling errors.

Using Python Django by Mozilla

Mozilla Developer Network has a detailed tutorial on Python Django. In the tutorial, you’ll create a website that manages the catalog for a local library. You’ll cover topics like using models, building an administration interface, and wokring with forms.

Should You Study Python Django?

Python Django lets you build powerful web applications using the Python programming language.

If you are already familiar with Python and have an interest in the web, learning Django is a great idea. You’ll be able to combine your existing Python skills with what you know about the web to build scalable web applications.

Because Django is built on Python, you’ll be able to write all of your code in the beginner-friendly Python syntax. This means that you should be able to easily understand the documentation you read and keep track of your application as it scales.

Python Django is an excellent skill to have if you want to become a professional web developer. Companies from Bitbucket to Dropbox to Pinterest all use Django. You’ll have no trouble finding a top tech company for whom to work that uses Django.

It’s up to you whether you want to study Django. Learning Django will take a few months but any skill worth learning is not easy to acquire. With so many great resources available online, you should have no trouble getting started.