Getting Started with Django: A Beginner’s Guide

4 min readJan 3, 2025

If you’ve been curious about web development and have stumbled upon the term “Django,” you’re in for a treat! Django is a high-level Python web framework that lets you build robust and scalable web applications quickly. Whether you’re a newbie in coding or have some programming experience, Django is an excellent choice to kickstart your web development journey. Let’s dive in!

Getting Started with Django: A Beginner’s Guide

What is Django?

Django is an open-source web framework designed for developers who value clean, pragmatic designs and fast development. Created in 2005, it follows the Model-View-Template (MVT) architectural pattern. With Django, you can create anything from personal blogs to complex e-commerce websites and even social networks. Its motto, “The web framework for perfectionists with deadlines,” says it all — speed and quality combined.

Why Choose Django?

Here are a few reasons why Django is so popular among developers:

Simplicity: It takes care of much of the hassle of web development, so you can focus on building your app.
Built-in Features: From authentication to admin panels, Django has out-of-the-box tools to make your life easier.
Scalability: Many big names like Instagram and Pinterest use Django, proving its ability to handle massive user bases.
Security: It helps developers avoid common security mistakes like SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
Community Support: Django has a strong community that ensures frequent updates and ample resources for learning.

Setting Up Django

Ready to get started? Follow these steps to set up Django on your system:

1. Install Python

Django is built on Python, so make sure you have Python installed. You can download it from python.org.

2. Install Django

Use pip (Python’s package installer) to install Django. Simply run:

pip install django

3. Create Your First Project

Once Django is installed, create your first project by running:

django-admin startproject myproject

This will create a new directory with all the necessary files to start your application.

4. Run the Development Server

Navigate to your project folder and start the server:

python manage.py runserver

Now, open your browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:8000/. Congratulations! Your Django app is live (locally, for now).

Exploring Django’s Structure

When you create a Django project, you’ll notice some default files and directories:

manage.py: A command-line utility for interacting with your project.
settings.py: The heart of your project, containing configurations like database settings.
urls.py: Maps URLs to views in your application.
views.py: Contains the logic for your app—what happens when a user visits a specific page.
models.py: Defines the structure of your database.

Understanding these files is crucial as they form the backbone of your Django app.

Building Your First Web Page

Let’s create a simple “Hello, World!” web page.

Open the views.py file in your app folder.
Add this code:

from django.http import HttpResponse

def home(request):
    return HttpResponse("Hello, World!")

3. Update the urls.py file:

from django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.home, name='home'),
]

4. Run the server again and visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/. You’ll see “Hello, World!” displayed on the screen!

Leveling Up: What’s Next?

Now that you have your first Django app running, here’s what you can explore next:

Models: Learn how to interact with databases by defining models and using Django’s ORM (Object-Relational Mapping).
Templates: Design beautiful web pages using Django’s templating engine.
Forms: Create dynamic forms to collect user input.
Authentication: Add login, logout, and user registration functionality.
Deploying: Move your project from your local machine to the internet.

Final Thoughts

Django is a powerful tool that balances ease of use with advanced capabilities. It’s perfect for beginners looking to learn web development and for professionals building enterprise-grade applications. The best way to learn Django is by doing — start small, experiment, and gradually tackle more complex projects.

If you’re ready to dive deeper, check out my in-depth Django guide here: Django Guide.

Happy coding, and welcome to the world of Django!