Django Quick Start to Installation

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Django Quick Start to Installation

Get started on your own Django web app using this Django quick start installation guide. It only takes a few minutes to get your Django project up and running on your local development server.

Follow the commands below and you'll soon see your Django web application running in your local browser window.

 

Django Quick Start Steps:

  1. Create a Python virtual environment
  2. Install Django
  3. Create a Django project
  4. Create a Django app in the Django project
  5. Run the development server
  6. Open the development server
  7. Next steps

 

Django Quick Start: Create a virtual environment

macOS Terminal

User-Macbook:~ user$ cd desktop

User-Macbook:desktop user$ python3 -m venv env

User-Macbook:desktop user$ cd env

User-Macbook:env user$ source bin/activate

(env)User-Macbook:env user$

Windows Command Prompt

C:\Users\Owner> cd desktop

C:\Users\Owner\desktop> py -m venv env

C:\Users\Owner\desktop> cd env

C:\Users\Owner\desktop\env> Scripts\activate

(env)C:\Users\Owner\desktop\env>

Open the Windows Command Prompt or Mac Terminal and create a Python virtual environment, then activate it.

 

Django Quick Start: Django installation command

Install Django macOS Terminal

(env)User-Macbook:env user$ pip install django

Install Django Windows Command Prompt

(env)C:\Users\Owner\desktop\env> pip install django

Install django in your activated virtual environment.

 

Django Quick Start: How to make sure Django is installed

Install Django macOS Terminal

(env)User-Macbook:env user$ pip show django

 

Check Django Install Windows Command Prompt

(env)C:\Users\Owner\desktop\env> pip show django

 

To check if Django is installed, run the pip show [name of package] command.

This command displays the name of the package, version number, and other bits of information on the installed package.

 

Django Quick Start: Create the project using the startproject command

macOS Terminal

(env)User-Macbook:env user$ django-admin startproject mysite

Windows Command Prompt

(env)C:\Users\Owner\desktop\env> django-admin startproject mysite

Run the Django startproject command to create a Django project named mysite.

In this case, the full command is django-admin startproject mysite. If you wish to name your Django project something else, replace mysite with the name of your choice. 

 

Django Quick Start: If django-admin startproject mysite not working

If the command django-admin startproject mysite is not working:

  1. Check to make sure your virtual environment is activated
  2. Check that you are in the virtual environment folder
  3. Make sure you properly installed Django in the virtual environment folder. 
  4. Check if Django is installed. 

 

Django Quick Start: Create the app using the startapp command

macOS Terminal

(env)User-Macbook:env user$ cd mysite

(env)User-Macbook:mysite user$ python3 manage.py startapp main

Windows Command Prompt

(env)C:\Users\Owner\desktop\env> cd mysite

(env)C:\Users\Owner\desktop\env\mysite> py manage.py startapp main

Next, you need to run the Django startapp command in the command prompt.

Enter into the mysite folder then create a Django application named main with the command python3 manage.py startapp main or py manage.py startapp main

 

Django Quick Start: Run the development server

macOS Terminal

(env)User-Macbook:mysite user$ python3 manage.py runserver 
Performing system checks...

System check identified no issues (0 silenced).

You have 17 unapplied migration(s). Your project may not work properly until you apply the migrations for app(s): admin, auth, contenttypes, sessions.
Run 'python manage.py migrate' to apply them.
February 26, 2019 - 09:54:26
Django version 3.0.6, using settings 'mysite.settings'
Starting development server at http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Quit the server with CTRL-C.

Windows Command Prompt

(env) C:\Users\Owner\Desktop\Code\env\mysite>py manage.py runserver
Performing system checks...

System check identified no issues (0 silenced).

You have 17 unapplied migration(s). Your project may not work properly until you apply the migrations for app(s): admin, auth, contenttypes, sessions.
Run 'python manage.py migrate' to apply them.
February 26, 2019 - 09:54:26
Django version 3.0.6, using settings 'mysite.settings'
Starting development server at http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Quit the server with CTRL-C.

Type the command python3 manage.py runsever for Mac and py manage.py runserver for Windows.

Note: You will always need to activate your virtual environment before running your local server. If you forget, you will get "module not found" errors.

 

Django Quick Start: Open the development server address in your browser

Starting development server at http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Quit the server with CTRL-C.

Look for the address http://127.0.0.1:8000/ above in the CLI then copy and paste this URL in a new browser window. A web page with a rocket will appear stating your installation was successful. 

Django installation successful

 

Django Quick Start: How to stop running the server

Starting development server at http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Quit the server with CTRL-C.

To stop running the server, return to the CLI and enter the command Ctrl + C.

 

Django Quick Start: Next Steps

Congratulations, you now have a Django project installed on your computer!

From here, you need to configure your web app to display your custom templates.