Getting Started with Python Django, while web development started as a mundane task which required you to work around common gateway interfacing, which used the general I/O facilities offered by C programming for inserting the input and getting the required output, it has made remarkable progress in recent years. Apart from being difficult, CGI also required you to create separate copies of the program for every single request, which in turn overloaded servers.
To overcome this dilemma, a number of scripting languages were introduced, like PHP and Pearl. One such modern scripting language is Python, which can be used for creating many different types of applications, including web applications. It has multiple advantages over other scripting languages, like-
• Clean syntax;
• Large modules library to easily take care of everyday web tasks, like multi-threading and files zipping;
• Improved run-time environment;
• Support for multiple servers, like nginx, Apache, lighttpd, and IIS.
While there are many different frameworks in Python, like web.py, Quixote, cherrypy, pylons, Spyce, etc. Django is the one that is highly preferred by programmers. Let us have a look at some of the features that set Django apart from other Python frameworks-
Features of Django
1. Flexible URL System- Django’s URL system is very clean and powerful. It allows you to define URL patterns in the application and also define the functions of Python that will handle each of the patterns. The results in the formation of URLs that are search engine as well as user friendly.
2. Customizable Administration Interface- The administration interface of Django is always at your disposal. This makes it extremely easy for you to manage the data of your application. Moreover, the interface is easily customizable and highly flexible.
3. ORM (Object-Relational Mapper)- The database component of Django, ORM, offers a smooth bridge between database engine and data model. It supports many different types of database systems and all you need to do is to alter a configuration file to switch between databases. Thus, if you ever decide to switch to another database, you will have an enhanced flexibility in decision-making.
4. Integration in Components- The components of Django are developed by Django Team and are tightly integrated to one another. Speed and re-usability are two of the main factors that were highly focused in the development of these components.
5. Improved Development Environment- The development environment offered by Django can be defined as very straightforward and fluid. It offers a hassle-free and lightweight platform for testing and development. Moreover, in debugging mode it offers comprehensive error messages along with an abundance of information about the error, making it extremely easy for the developer to isolate and resolve the bugs.
Apart from the above mentioned benefits, Django is highly secure, fast and scalable as well. The entire process of transforming a web application concept into a final product, can be done with Django in a matter of hours. It is equipped to take care of most of the hassles associated with web development and this allows the developer to completely focus on writing the application.