Django
Django is a high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. Built by experienced developers, it takes care of much of the hassle of web development, so you can focus on writing your app without needing to reinvent the wheel. Here are some key points about Django:
History
- Django was created in the fall of 2003, when the web developers at the Lawrence Journal-World newspaper, Adrian Holovaty and Simon Willison, began using Python to build applications. Their goal was to create a framework that allowed for the quick development of database-driven websites.
- The framework was named after Django Reinhardt, a jazz guitarist from the 1930s to early 1950s, reflecting the founders' love for jazz music.
- It was first released publicly in July 2005 and became open-source.
- Since its initial release, Django has evolved significantly, with the Django Software Foundation established in 2008 to support the development and promotion of Django.
Features
- Object-Relational Mapping (ORM): Django includes a powerful ORM that abstracts SQL queries, allowing developers to interact with databases using Python code.
- Admin Interface: Automatically generates a web-based administration site for managing content.
- URL Routing: Offers a clean, elegant URL design that is easy to read and maintain.
- Security: Includes features to help developers avoid common security mistakes like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and more.
- Template System: A simple yet powerful template language that encourages the separation of logic from presentation.
- Scalability: Designed to handle high-traffic sites through its "shared-nothing" architecture, which allows it to scale horizontally across multiple servers.
- Internationalization: Built-in support for translation of text, formatting of dates, times, and numbers, and pluralization.
Community and Ecosystem
- The Django community is vibrant, with numerous conferences, meetups, and online forums where developers share knowledge and contribute to the project.
- There are many third-party packages available through the Python Package Index (PyPI) that extend Django's functionality.
- Django follows a "batteries included" philosophy, providing a full-stack framework with everything developers need to build web applications quickly.
Usage
- Django is used by many high-profile websites including Instagram, Pinterest, and Mozilla.
- It's particularly popular in the startup ecosystem for its ability to facilitate rapid development and prototyping.
Sources:
Related Topics: