Frequently Asked Questions about Django
What is Django?
Django is a Python web framework that takes care of the difficult and common parts of web development--authentication, database connection, CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations, URL routing, forms, security, etc.--so you can concentrate on what makes your app unique without needing to reinvent the wheel.
Is Django for the backend or frontend?
Django is primarily used for backend web development: connecting to a database, adding logic, user authentication, creating APIs, URL routing, and so on. It does have a lightweight templating language for frontend use, but this is often swapped out for more powerful frontend frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular.
What is Django vs. Python?
Python is a computer programming language used in data science, artificial intelligence, automation, and for building websites. It is a general-purpose language that emphasizes the readability of code, making it popular for beginners and introductory programming classes.
Django is a web framework written in Python that handles common challenges in web development--connecting to a database, authentication, forms, security, URL routing, etc.--so developers don't have to reinvent the wheel.
Is Django a programming language?
No, Django is a web framework for creating applications or APIs written in the Python programming language. There are many common challenges in web development--connecting to a database, user authentication, URL routing, forms, security--and a framework like Django handles them all so a developer can focus on writing code specific to the project rather than reinventing the wheel.
Is Django full-stack or not?
Yes, Django provides all the tools you need for backend and frontend web development, including database connections, URL routing, forms, and templates. It is generally thought of as a backend framework though, because developers can also swap in a dedicated JavaScript frontend library like Vue or React.
Should I learn Django before Python?
You should start with Python since Django is a Python-based web framework. Everything in Django is just Python. You don't need to master Python before attempting Django, but understanding basic syntax, variables, dictionaries, and object-oriented techniques like classes is recommended.
How do I ask a good programming question?
Many beginners find there is a gap between following along with tutorials or books and actually building out their own projects with seemingly unique requirements. Chances are whatever functionality you can imagine has already been implemented by others. To ask a question on a place like the Django Forum, try to be as specific as possible. Instead of asking: how do I build a blog site? Say, I've already taken these steps and I'm currently stuck on this one specific thing. I've looked online but can't find the exact code for the issue. This proves to a would-be answerer that you have taken efforts already to answer the question and it is something small enough that an experienced Django developer can answer quickly.