14 Django Project Structure Best Practices
If you're starting a Django project, it's important to structure it correctly. Here are 14 best practices for Django project structure to help you get it right.
Django is a powerful web framework that makes it easy to create complex web applications. However, it can be difficult to know how to structure a Django project for maximum efficiency and scalability.
In this article, we’ll discuss 14 best practices for structuring a Django project. We’ll cover topics such as organizing files, setting up the database, and configuring the settings. Following these best practices will help you create a Django project that is easy to maintain and scale.
1. Create a base directory for your project
Having a base directory for your project helps keep all of the related files and folders organized. It also makes it easier to find specific files when you need them, as well as making sure that any changes you make are reflected in the correct places.
Creating a base directory is simple: just create a folder with the name of your project and place all of your Django-related files and folders inside it. This will help ensure that everything stays organized and easy to find.
2. Add an outer mysite/ root directory to hold everything related to the project
Having an outer root directory helps keep all of the project files organized and in one place. It also makes it easier to find specific files when you need them, as well as making it simpler to move or copy the entire project if necessary. Additionally, having a single root directory for your Django project can help prevent conflicts between different versions of the same file that may exist in multiple locations.
3. Create a mysite/settings.py file for global settings
This file is where you can store all of your project’s settings, such as database connection information, installed apps, and other configuration options.
Having a single source for all of your global settings makes it easier to maintain and update them in the future. It also helps keep your codebase organized and easy to read. Additionally, if you ever need to deploy your application to another environment, having all of your settings in one place will make the process much simpler.
4. Create a mysite/urls.py file for the project-level URL declarations
This file is the entry point for all requests to your Django project. It contains a list of URL patterns that map URLs to views, and it’s where you can define custom behavior for certain URLs. This makes it easier to maintain and debug your code since all of the URL declarations are in one place.
It also allows you to easily add new features or change existing ones without having to modify multiple files. Finally, it helps keep your code organized by separating out the project-level URL declarations from the application-level ones.
5. Create a mysite/wsgi.py file for the WSGI application entry point
The WSGI application entry point is the file that serves as the interface between your web server and Django. It’s responsible for loading the settings, initializing the environment, and then running the application. Without this file, your web server won’t be able to communicate with Django.
Creating a mysite/wsgi.py file ensures that you have an easy-to-find place to store all of the necessary information about your project. This makes it easier to maintain and update your project in the future.
6. Create a polls/ directory to hold your apps
When you create a Django project, it will automatically generate a polls/ directory. This is where all of your apps should be stored. By keeping them in one place, it makes it easier to manage and maintain the codebase. It also helps keep the project organized and prevents files from being scattered across multiple directories.
Additionally, having a polls/ directory allows for better collaboration between developers. Everyone knows exactly where to find the app they need to work on, which can help speed up development time.
7. Create a polls/admin.py file for admin site registrations
The polls/admin.py file is where you register your models with the Django admin site. This allows you to easily manage and view data in the database from the admin interface. Without this file, it would be difficult to access and manipulate data stored in the database.
Creating a polls/admin.py file also helps keep your project organized by separating out code related to the admin site from other parts of the project. This makes it easier for developers to find what they need quickly and reduces the risk of errors due to incorrect imports or references.
8. Create a polls/apps.py file to store app configuration information
The polls/apps.py file is a great place to store all of the configuration information for your app, such as its name, version number, and other settings. This makes it easier to keep track of what’s going on with your project, since you can quickly refer back to this file if you need to make any changes or updates. Additionally, having this file in one central location helps ensure that all of your apps are configured correctly and consistently.
9. Create a polls/models.py file to define models
When you create a Django project, the models.py file is where you define your database tables and fields. This makes it easier to keep track of all the different pieces of data that make up your application. It also helps ensure that any changes you make to the structure of your database are reflected in the code.
By creating a polls/models.py file, you can easily organize all of your model definitions into one place. This will help you quickly find what you need when making changes or debugging issues. Additionally, having a single source for all of your models makes it easier to maintain consistency across your entire project.
10. Create a polls/tests.py file to write unit tests
Unit tests are a great way to ensure that your code is working as expected and can help you catch bugs before they become major issues. Writing unit tests in the polls/tests.py file allows you to keep all of your tests organized in one place, making it easier to find and debug any problems. Additionally, having a dedicated test file makes it easy for other developers to understand how your code works and what tests have been written.
11. Create a polls/views.py file to define views
A views.py file is a great way to keep all of your view logic in one place, making it easier to find and maintain. It also allows you to easily reuse code across multiple projects, as the same view functions can be imported into any project that needs them. Finally, having a separate file for views makes it easier to debug problems since you don’t have to search through other files to find the source of an issue.
12. Create a polls/templates/polls/ directory to hold templates
When you create a Django project, the default template directory is set to the root of your project. This means that all templates are stored in one place and can be difficult to find when working on larger projects. By creating a polls/templates/polls/ directory, you can easily organize your templates into separate folders for each app or feature. This makes it easier to locate specific templates and also helps keep your codebase organized.
13. Create a polls/migrations/ directory to hold database migrations
Database migrations are a way of keeping track of changes to the database structure over time. They allow you to make changes to your database without having to manually write SQL queries or delete and recreate tables. This makes it easier to keep track of changes, as well as roll back any changes that don’t work out.
By creating a polls/migrations/ directory, you can easily store all of your migration files in one place, making them easy to find and manage. It also helps keep your project organized and ensures that all of your migrations are stored in the same location.
14. Create a manage.py file to run management commands
The manage.py file is a script that allows you to run management commands from the command line, such as running tests or creating migrations. This makes it easier for developers to quickly and easily execute tasks without having to remember long commands. It also helps keep your project structure organized by keeping all of your management commands in one place.