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Last active December 12, 2023 16:34
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My thoughts on Django tutorials
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django-tutorials.md

Django Tutorials

I've scanned through these, and they all seem to cover the basic features of Django (models, function-based views, forms, templates, CSS, and the admin interface), and use Python 3 and Django 2. My notes indicate what I think differentiates them.

Django Girls tutorial

  • Written for Django Girls workshops or self-teaching
  • Widely recommended for beginners, even to Python, web development, and command line
  • Build a blog
  • Instructions for Windows, Mac, and Linux (including Python installation)
  • Uses standard venv module for virtual environments
  • Styling with Bootstrap and customization
  • Push to GitHub
  • Deploy to PythonAnywhere

Mozilla Developer Network Django tutorial

  • Part of a larger guide on back-end web development
  • Recommends (but doesn't require) familiarity with Python
  • Build a library catalog
  • Touches on Python installation for Windows, Mac, and Linux
  • Uses virtualenvwrapper for virtual environments, which seems like unnecessary complexity
  • Covers class-based views, testing, sessions, user authentication, and security
  • Styling via Bootstrap
  • Deploys to Heroku
  • Includes exercises along the way, and a self-assessment project to build a blog

Django's official "Getting started" guide

  • Seems to assume intermediate Python knowledge
  • Build a polling app
  • Glosses over virtual environments, but recommends virtualenvwrapper
  • Covers class-based views and testing

Visual Studio Code Python and Django tutorial

  • One of several Python tutorials focusing on editor features
  • Doesn't go into much depth
  • Touches on Python installation for Windows, Mac, and Linux
  • Uses standard venv module for virtual environments
  • Covers the built-in debugger
  • Deployment to Azure in other articles

Most of these recommendations come from the second episode of the Django Chat podcast, "How to Learn Django". The host covered similar content in a presentation at the Django Boston Meetup:

8 Reasons Why Learning Django is Hard (links go to slides)

  1. Web development is hard (but this applies to all languages/frameworks)
  2. Python development environments should be easier
  3. Spotty educational resources
  4. Lots of layers (model/view/url/template) to wire up
  5. Multiple layout conventions re: templates and settings
  6. Function-Based Views vs. Class-Based Views
  7. Customizing the User model
  8. Deployment

Also, I generally agree with an opinionated FAQ that covers things like configuration and deployment.

Books

I haven't read these, but they look promising.

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