Django Model Best Practices for Clean Code

Problem Wednesday. A small Django mistake that cost me hours. I was building a simple form in Django to save data into the database. Everything looked correct. The form rendered properly. No major errors. But when I clicked submit, nothing was saving. After checking models and views multiple times, I finally noticed the issue. I forgot to include method="POST" in the HTML form tag. Because of that, Django never received the POST request. The view logic was correct, but the request type was wrong. That moment helped me understand something important about backend development. Even when your Python and Django logic is correct, small frontend details can break the entire flow. Now, whenever form data does not save, I check three things immediately: 1. Is the form using POST 2. Is CSRF token included 3. Is request.method == "POST" handled correctly Understanding this improved my grasp of Django forms, request handling, and the overall request response cycle. If you are learning Django, debugging is not about writing more code. It is about tracing the flow carefully. 👉 What is one small mistake in Django that taught you a big lesson? 🔗 Helpful Resources Django Forms Documentation https://lnkd.in/gheCSvkC Django CSRF Protection https://lnkd.in/grEgWUc8 Django ModelForms Guide https://lnkd.in/gAQmRB5M #Python #Django #BackendDevelopment #WebDevelopment #LearningInPublic #StudentDeveloper #ProblemSolving #CodingJourney

WHY DJANGO REST_FRAMEWORK? DAY 9: ‎ ‎THE BROWSABLE API (YOUR SECRET WEAPON) ‎ ‎One of the biggest differences between Django and DRF is how you see your work. ‎ ‎In standard Django, if you want to see if your logic works, you’re either looking at the Admin Panel or building a quick HTML template. Although, it gives a little more room for customization, it is still a bit of a detour. ‎ ‎Enter the DRF Browsable API. ‎ ‎heThe moment you create a view in DRF and navigate to the URL in your browser, you aren't just looking at raw JSON text. DRF renders a clean, interactive web page that allows you to: ‎ ‎1. GET data and see it beautifully formatted. ‎ ‎2. POST new data using a built-in form. ‎ ‎3. PUT/DELETE resources with the click of a button. ‎ ‎It is essentially a live Sandbox for your backend. You can test your entire backend logic directly in the browser. ‎ ‎For me, this was actually pretty fascinating, just seeing my Python logic turn into a functional interface  that I could interact with, without writing a single line of CSS or HTML. It makes debugging feel less like a chore and more like a playground. ‎ ‎Do you prefer testing your logic in the terminal (Shell) or are you like me and you need a visual interface to feel like it’s real? ‎ ‎#APIs #webdevelopment #learninginpublic #learninpublic #whydjangorestframework #django #djangrestframework #python #webdev #backenddevelopment

Flask vs Django vs FastAPI – Which One Should You Choose? If you’re getting into Python backend development, you’ve probably asked this question. Here’s a simple breakdown: 🔵 Flask – Lightweight & Flexible Perfect for small projects, prototypes, or when you want full control. Minimal setup, but you build most things yourself. 🟣 Django – Batteries Included Comes with authentication, admin panel, ORM, and security features out of the box. Great for full-scale web applications and production-ready systems. 🟢 FastAPI – Modern & High Performance Built for APIs. Fast, async-ready, automatic validation, and Swagger docs included. Ideal for microservices, AI/ML backends, and modern applications. 📊 Quick Guide: • Building a full web app with admin? → Django • Building a lightweight custom backend? → Flask • Building a high-performance API? → FastAPI Each framework has its strengths. The best choice depends on your project goals, team size, and scalability needs. What’s your go-to Python framework and why? #Python #BackendDevelopment #WebDevelopment #Django #Flask #FastAPI #Programming #SoftwareDevelopment

🧠 Django Tip – The Smart Way to Handle Missing Pages (404s)! Ever seen that “Page Not Found” message and wondered how Django handles it behind the scenes? 🤔 When a page doesn’t exist, Django can automatically trigger a 404 error — but you can (and should!) customize how it behaves. This improves user experience and makes debugging easier. Most beginners use plain HTML responses to show errors — but there’s a cleaner, more Django-like way to do it 🧩 Instead of returning a simple <h1>Page Not Found</h1>, you can raise an actual Http404 exception⚡ 1. Create `templates/404.html`: <h1>Oops! Page Not Found</h1> <p>The page you're looking for doesn't exist.</p> Django automatically uses this when: in `settings.py`: `DEBUG = False` `ALLOWED_HOSTS` is set correctly 2. Use Custom Logic With a Custom Handler In your project’s `urls.py`: handler404 = "myapp.views.custom_404_view" Then in `views.py`: from django.shortcuts import render def custom_404_view(request, exception): return render(request, "404.html", status=404) 🎁 Bonus: Log 404s for Better Insights You can log missing URLs: import logging logger = logging.getLogger(__name__) def custom_404_view(request, exception): logger.warning(f"404 Not Found: {request.path}") return render(request, "404.html", status=404) This helps you find broken links or bots probing your site. 💬 What’s your favorite way to handle 404s — custom templates or Django’s default page? Want more insights like this? Check out my profile for more resources. Let’s connect!  👉 “Link in the comments.” #Django #Python #Backend #CleanCode #SoftwareEngineering #WebDevelopment #DjangoTips

WHY DJANGO REST_FRAMEWORK? DAY 10: ‎ ‎THE FINAL VERDICT: DJANGO OR DRF? ‎ ‎We’ve spent 10 days breaking this down. From Serializers and Statelessness to Throttling and the Browsable APIs. So, the big question: Should you always use DRF? ‎ ‎The honest answer? No. ‎ ‎Choose Traditional Django if: ‎-- You are building a simple SEO-heavy blog or a site where the server needs to render everything for the browser (Server Side Rendering). ‎-- You don't need a mobile app or a separate frontend like React. ‎-- You want to keep everything "in-house" using Django’s MTV pattern. ‎ ‎Choose Django Rest_Framework if: ‎-- You want a Decoupled Architecture (Backend and Frontend are separate). ‎-- You are building for multiple platforms (Web, iOS, Android). ‎-- You want a scalable, stateless system that handles data like a pro. ‎-- You want to focus purely on logic and data without touching HTML/CSS. ‎ ‎My journey with PollScribe taught me that while DRF has a learning curve (those serializers can be tricky!), the freedom it gives you is unmatched. It forces you to think about your data more clearly and prepares your app for the modern, API-driven world. ‎ ‎This concludes our 10-day series! I hope this helped clear the fog on why DRF is such a powerhouse in the Python ecosystem. ‎ ‎What topic should I dive into next? More deep-dives into Serializers, or maybe a step-by-step project build? Drop your suggestions in the comments! ‎ ‎#APIs #webdevelopment #learninginpublic #learninpublic #whydjangorestframework #django #djangrestframework #python #webdev #backenddevelopment

WHY DJANGO REST_FRAMEWORK? ‎•Why Django Rest_Framework? A 10-day series on why to use Django rest_framework instead of Django. ‎The series will start with an initial explanation of Django, Restful APIs and finally the Django Rest_framework. ‎ ‎•Comparisons between Django and drf will be made and a broad view of when you should choose drf over Django will be  tested. ‎ ‎•Finally I will reference a project I'm building to explain certain problems I've faced with both, suggestions to circumvent them, and finally reasons behind the choices I have made when building this project. ‎ ‎This series is as a result of a question I asked myself recently when building my current project ("PollScribe: a stack-overflow for creatives"). Why Django rest_framework? I had been building, testing and breaking the app for a month and was surprised when I faced a particular hurdle with enabling a client to create a new resource via a html page rather than the API endpoint, and I was struggling a bit, I kept getting errors. I kept probing to discover if there was a simpler way to do it? Was I missing something? why was I using Django rest_framework even? ‎ ‎This may seem strange to you because you wonder why start a project if you don't even know why you're using the tools you are? It happens to be my pilot project, and I just needed to start building, trusting that the momentum will force me to learn as I go. Sometimes you must start when you're unsure in order to get better. ‎ ‎Follow along if web development using Python is an interest of yours, if you're learning or would like to start now. #django #webdevelopment #webdev #stackoverflow #pilotproject #coding #python #programming #whydjangorestframework

Most at times, beginners are the ones not familiar with the tool. However, I have noticed that even experienced developers who use the tool often do not leverage it to optimize queries performed in the Django Admin panel, whereas those queries can be just as problematic for performance. The Admin interface is often overlooked as a "built-in feature," but under heavy usage or with complex model relationships, it can generate significant database overhead. Using the Django Debug Toolbar while navigating your admin pages can reveal: - Redundant queries for foreign key relationships - Missing select_related and prefetch_related optimizations - Unnecessary calculations in admin methods - Pagination inefficiencies By applying the same optimization principles to your admin customizations that you use in your views, you ensure consistent performance across your entire application. Remember: performance optimization shouldn't stop at your API endpoints, it should extend to every layer of your Django application. 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗽: For production-like scenarios, you can even run the toolbar in development with realistic data volumes by using tools like factory_boy to generate substantial test datasets that mimic your production environment. #Django #Python #WebDevelopment #BackendDevelopment #DjangoTips #SoftwareEngineering #API #Performance #DatabaseOptimization #CodingTips

🚀 Recently, I explored the Django framework. It allows us to work with databases without writing raw SQL by using an ORM (Object-Relational Mapper). Using Django, I built a basic 🍽️ Food Menu App where the admin (👨🍳 chef/owner): - can register and log in 🔐 - can add food items available at the restaurant 📝 - can display the list of food items as a digital menu for customers 📱  (QR code feature in progress 🔄) 📚 What I learned: - Working with databases and models in Django 🗄️ - Handling static files 🎨 - Performing CRUD operations 🔄 - Implementing authentication in Django 🔑 🧰 Techstack Used : -Python (backend language) -Django (framework) -SQLite (database) -Django ORM (database abstraction) -HTML + CSS (frontend templates) GitHub: https://lnkd.in/gTPBrsBD

WHY DJANGO REST_FRAMEWORK? DAY 5: ‎ WHAT IS DJANGO REST_FRAMEWORK? (DRF) ‎Django rest_framework is Django's own restful API, it keeps the backend separate from the server but negotiates with the database for information requested by the client through HttpResponses. ‎ ‎It is important to note that all requests are treated individually, and attended to provided the right data has been provided. e.g a new product can be created from the API endpoint provided all the required sections have been filled out as required by the models, the product name, category, description and so on. This is so that a new table is created in the database for that data without need for prior information like user account, or if that product exists prior. it's excellent for debugging and ensuring that the backend actually does what it claims to do. ‎A major part of drf's algorithm is its serializers. Serializers are files that help convert python primitive types/objects into acceptable web formats, e.g JSON, enabling clients to see and interact with resources displayed on the server in json format. As such, creating a new resource will be done using JSON format and saved, the data will then be deserialized/ parsed and sent back to the app where it will be saved on the database. ‎ ‎ let's create a mental flow chart: ‎Serializer initialized --> Server (resource displayed in JSON format.) --> Client requests/inputs data ---> Serializer validates data --> serializer deserializes data --> data gets stored in the database. ‎ So, that's how client-server-database flows occur in Django rest_framework. We are halfway through the series now and we've covered what Django is, when and why you should use Django, how to create projects in Django, what API's and restful API's are, and finally what django rest_framework is. Keep up with me as I continue to break down programming topics, while sharing my personal experience in building projects, with you. ‎ ‎#APIs #webdevelopment #learninginpublic #learninpublic #whydjangorestframework #django #djangrestframework #python #webdev #backenddevelopment

When building a Django application, views are the heart of your web logic. They determine what users see when they visit a URL and how data is processed. Django gives you two main approaches to writing views: Function-Based Views (FBV) Class-Based Views (CBV) In this article, we’ll explore: Differences between FBV and CBV Pros and cons of each Real-world examples for when to use them By the end, you’ll know exactly which view type to pick for your Django projects. https://lnkd.in/gBdUY4-d