Getting started with Django 4.0

Step 1: Install Python

Before we can start working with Django, we need to install Python on our system. You can download and install Python from the official website: https://www.python.org/downloads/

Step 2: Install Django

After installing Python, you can install Django using pip, which is the package installer for Python. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and run the following command:

pip install Django

This will install the latest version of Django on your system.

Step 3: Create a new Django project

Once Django is installed, we can create a new Django project. Open the command prompt or terminal and navigate to the directory where you want to create your project. Then run the following command:

django-admin startproject myproject

This will create a new Django project named "myproject" in the current directory.

Step 4: Create a new Django app

A Django project consists of one or more apps, which are self-contained modules that perform specific tasks. To create a new app, navigate to the project directory (the one containing manage.py) and run the following command:

python manage.py startapp myapp

This will create a new Django app named "myapp" in the myproject directory.

Step 5: Define models

In Django, models are used to define the structure of your data. Open the models.py file in the myapp directory and define your models. For example:

from django.db import models

class Book(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    author = models.CharField(max_length=50)
    published_date = models.DateField()

    def __str__(self):
        return self.title

This defines a Book model with three fields: title, author, and published_date.

Step 6: Create database tables

Once you have defined your models, you need to create database tables based on them. Run the following commands:

python manage.py makemigrations

python manage.py migrate

The first command generates a migration file based on your model changes, and the second command applies those changes to your database.

Step 7: Create views

In Django, views are used to handle HTTP requests and generate responses. Open the views.py file in the myapp directory and define your views. For example:

from django.shortcuts import render
from django.http import HttpResponse
from .models import Book

def index(request):
    books = Book.objects.all()
    context = {'books': books}
    return render(request, 'index.html', context)

def detail(request, book_id):
    book = Book.objects.get(id=book_id)
    context = {'book': book}
    return render(request, 'detail.html', context)

This defines two views: index and detail. The index view retrieves all books from the database and renders them using the index.html template. The detail view retrieves a specific book based on its ID and renders it using the detail.html template.

Step 8: Create templates

Templates are used to generate HTML pages that are sent as responses to HTTP requests. Create a new directory called templates in the myapp directory, and then create two new files: index.html and detail.html. For example:

index.html:

{% extends 'base.html' %}

{% block content %}
    <h1>Books</h1>
    <ul>
{% for book in books %}