Python Web development with Django (Covers Django 1.0)

✍ Scribed by Jeff Forcier, Paul Bissex, Wesley Chun

• Publisher: Addison-Wesley
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 405
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Using the simple, robust, Python-based Django framework, you can build powerful Web solutions with remarkably few lines of code. In Python Web Development with Django®, three experienced Django and Python developers cover all the techniques, tools, and concepts you need to make the most of Django 1.0, including all the major features of the new release.   The authors teach Django through in-depth explanations, plus provide extensive sample code supported with images and line-by-line explanations. You’ll discover how Django leverages Python’s development speed and flexibility to help you solve a wide spectrum of Web development problems and learn Django best practices covered nowhere else. You’ll build your first Django application in just minutes and deepen your real-world skills through start-to-finish application projects including Simple Web log (blog) Online photo gallery Simple content management system Ajax-powered live blogger Online source code sharing/syntax highlighting tool How to run your Django applications on the Google App Engine   This complete guide starts by introducing Python, Django, and Web development concepts, then dives into the Django framework, providing a deep understanding of its major components (models, views, templates), and how they come together to form complete Web applications. After a discussion of four independent working Django applications, coverage turns to advanced topics, such as caching, extending the template system, syndication, admin customization, and testing. Valuable reference appendices cover using the command-line, installing and configuring Django, development tools, exploring existing Django applications, the Google App Engine, and how to get more involved with the Django community.     Introduction 1   Part I: Getting Started Chapter 1: Practical Python for Django 7 Chapter 2: Django for the Impatient: Building a Blog 57 Chapter 3: Starting Out 77   Part II: Django in Depth Chapter 4: Defining and Using Models 89 Chapter 5: URLs, HTTP Mechanisms, and Views 117 Chapter 6: Templates and Form Processing 135   Part III: Django Applications by Example Chapter 7: Photo Gallery 159 Chapter 8: Content Management System 181 Chapter 9: Liveblog 205 Chapter 10: Pastebin 221   Part IV: Advanced Django Techniques and Features Chapter 11: Advanced Django Programming 235 Chapter 12: Advanced Django Deployment 261   Part V: Appendices Appendix A: Command Line Basics 285 Appendix B: Installing and Running Django 295 Appendix C: Tools for Practical Django Development 313 Appendix D: Finding, Evaluating, and Using Django Applications 321 Appendix E: Django on the Google App Engine 325 Appendix F: Getting Involved in the Django Project 337   Index 339 Colophon 375

✦ Table of Contents

Table of Contents......Page 7
Where Web Frameworks Come From......Page 26
We’re Not in Kansas Anymore......Page 27
Web Development Is Better with Python and Django......Page 28
I: Getting Started......Page 30
Python Skills Are Django Skills......Page 32
Getting Started: Python’s Interactive Interpreter......Page 33
Python Basics......Page 35
Python Standard Types......Page 36
Flow Control......Page 53
Exception Handling......Page 55
Files......Page 58
Functions......Page 59
Object-Oriented Programming......Page 69
Regular Expressions......Page 72
Common Gotchas......Page 73
Coding Style (PEP 8 and Beyond)......Page 78
Summary......Page 80
2 Django for the Impatient: Building a Blog......Page 82
Creating the Project......Page 83
Running the Development Server......Page 84
Creating the Blog Application......Page 86
Setting Up the Database......Page 87
Setting Up the Automatic admin Application......Page 90
Trying Out the admin......Page 91
Making Your Blog’s Public Side......Page 95
Finishing Touches......Page 98
Summary......Page 100
Dynamic Web Site Basics......Page 102
Understanding Models, Views, and Templates......Page 104
Core Philosophies of Django......Page 107
Summary......Page 111
II: Django in Depth......Page 112
Defining Models......Page 114
Using Models......Page 127
Summary......Page 141
URLs......Page 142
Modeling HTTP: Requests, Responses, and Middleware......Page 147
Views/Logic......Page 152
Summary......Page 158
Templates......Page 160
Forms......Page 167
Summary......Page 179
III: Django Applications by Example......Page 182
7 Photo Gallery......Page 184
The Model......Page 185
Preparing for File Uploads......Page 186
Installing PIL......Page 187
Testing ImageField......Page 188
Building Our Custom File Field......Page 189
Setting Up DRY URLs......Page 194
The Item App’s URL Layout......Page 197
Tying It All Together with Templates......Page 198
Summary......Page 204
What’s a CMS?......Page 206
The Un-CMS: Flatpages......Page 207
Beyond Flatpages: A Simple Custom CMS......Page 210
Possible Enhancements......Page 227
Summary......Page 228
What Exactly Is Ajax?......Page 230
Planning the Application......Page 231
Laying Out the Application......Page 233
Putting the Ajax In......Page 236
Summary......Page 244
10 Pastebin......Page 246
Defining the Model......Page 247
Creating the Templates......Page 248
Designing the URLs......Page 250
Trying It Out......Page 251
Limiting Number of Recent Pastes Displayed......Page 254
Syntax Highlighting......Page 255
Cleanup Via Cron Job......Page 256
Summary......Page 257
IV: Advanced Django Techniques and Features......Page 258
Customizing the Admin......Page 260
Using Syndication......Page 265
Generating Downloadable Files......Page 268
Enhancing Django’s ORM with Custom Managers......Page 273
Extending the Template System......Page 275
Summary......Page 285
Writing Utility Scripts......Page 286
Customizing the Django Codebase Itself......Page 289
Caching......Page 290
Testing Django Applications......Page 299
Summary......Page 306
V: Appendices......Page 308
Putting the “Command” in “Command Line”......Page 310
Options and Arguments......Page 313
Pipes and Redirection......Page 314
Environment Variables......Page 316
The Path......Page 318
Summary......Page 319
Python......Page 320
Django......Page 326
Web Server......Page 328
SQL Database......Page 333
Summary......Page 336
Version Control......Page 338
Project Management Software......Page 343
Text Editors......Page 344
Where to Look for Applications......Page 346
How to Evaluate Applications......Page 347
Sharing Your Own Application......Page 348
Why the App Engine Matters......Page 350
Limitations of the App Engine Framework......Page 351
Google App Engine Helper for Django......Page 352
Integrating the App Engine......Page 353
Creating a New Django Application That Runs on App Engine......Page 358
Online Resources......Page 359
F: Getting Involved in the Django Project......Page 362
A......Page 364
B......Page 367
C......Page 368
D......Page 371
E......Page 378
F......Page 379
G......Page 381
I......Page 382
J......Page 383
L......Page 384
M......Page 385
N......Page 387
P......Page 388
Q......Page 391
R......Page 392
S......Page 393
T......Page 395
U......Page 396
V......Page 397
W......Page 398
X–Z......Page 399
Colophon......Page 400