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Django for Beginners: Build websites with Python and Django
Completely updated in May 2023 for Django 4.2. Learn how to build five real-world Python web applications with authentication, testing, permissions, environment variables, and production-ready deployment. * Master Django fundamentals, including models, ORM, views, templates, settings, forms, authentication, and middleware. * Deploy your websites into production and learn how to toggle between local and production environments seamlessly. * Write robust tests for each project and utilize environment variables for enhanced security. * Implement custom signup, login, logout, password change, and password reset. * Integrate powerful third-party Django packages to improve key functionality. This book is for readers with basic Python knowledge and programmers transitioning to Django from other web frameworks. It is a fast-paced guide to current best practices and modern web development with Django. "When readers interested in web development ask me what to read next after Python Crash Course, I refer them to Will's Django for Beginners , Django for APIs , and Django for Professionals . I highly recommend you check out his work." —ERIC MATTHES, author of Python Crash Course "If you’re looking for a guide into the world of Django, then the three-step of Django for Beginners , Django for APIs , and Django for Professionals is get up and running, get into APIs, which are a cornerstone of modern app development, and then add the bits you need to your fledging app into production, from databases and static files, to user accounts and security. It’s a long road. Will’s books are an awesome companion." —CARLTON GIBSON, Django Fellow and Django REST Framework core contributor "Will's books are a fantastic resource for web development with Django and Python. I highly recommended them" —JEFF TRIPLETT, Python Software Foundation Director , DEFNA President , and REVSYS Partner
0. Introduction 1. Initial Set Up 2. Hello World App 3. Pages App 4. Message Board App 5. Message Board Deployment 6. Blog App 7. Forms 8. User Accounts 9. Blog Deployment 10. Custom User Model 11. User Authentication 12. Bootstrap 13. Password Change and Reset 14. Newspaper App 15. Permissions and Authorization 16. Comments 17. Deployment Conclusion
0. Introduction 1. Initial Set Up 2. Hello World App 3. Pages App 4. Message Board App 5. Message Board Deployment 6. Blog App 7. Forms 8. User Accounts 9. Blog Deployment 10. Custom User Model 11. User Authentication 12. Bootstrap 13. Password Change and Reset 14. Newspaper App 15. Permissions and Authorization 16. Comments 17. Deployment Conclusion
414 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2018
112 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 20, 2024
کتاب خوبیه که کنار یک دوره آموزشی ازش استفاده کنیم.
توصیه میکنم در هنگام مطالعه حتما از سرویسهای هوش مصنوعی برای فهم بهتر ترمهای تخصصی استفاده کنید.
توصیه میکنم در هنگام مطالعه حتما از سرویسهای هوش مصنوعی برای فهم بهتر ترمهای تخصصی استفاده کنید.
January 17, 2020
This is the best intro to Django I've ever read so far. It introduces Django in the shadows of its motto "the framework for perfectionists with deadlines". The author shows the true simplicity of Django, and how you can do a lot with little code, and literally build a project in almost no time.
You'll need a very good understanding of Python OOP because he uses ClassBasedViews, which is the perfect way to use for rapid development (for me).
You'll need a very good understanding of Python OOP because he uses ClassBasedViews, which is the perfect way to use for rapid development (for me).
May 12, 2020
Great Book
Although I had dabbled with django I couldnt find a decent way to learn it from the ground up. Then I found this book, it was so good I went ahead and ordered the advance version.
Easy to read, practical projects each designed to aid and build on your learning . As someone who was new to django I feel like I have learned so much from this book and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn Django.
Although I had dabbled with django I couldnt find a decent way to learn it from the ground up. Then I found this book, it was so good I went ahead and ordered the advance version.
Easy to read, practical projects each designed to aid and build on your learning . As someone who was new to django I feel like I have learned so much from this book and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn Django.
April 13, 2020
The writer really meant it when he said "for beginners." I would only recommend reading this book if you have absolutely no idea how web development frameworks work. Otherwise just opt for "Django for professionals." It's a much better choice.
January 22, 2023
Django for Beginners is a good book for people that know basically nothing about web-development and want to kickstart their hobby fullstack projects right here right now. It focuses a lot on stuff like proper HTML and CSS, working with Git and deployment to 3rd party hosting sites.
As an experienced web-developer who wanted to switch from Flask and Fastapi to Django, I found most of the information in this book redundant. At the end of the day, as a beginner in Django, I didn't learn as much about framework.
If you're already accustomed to web-development, I'd recommend skipping this book and going straight to Django for APIs and Django for Professionals by the same author.
If you're just starting with Python and want to build and deploy something simple asap - by all means, pick this book, it's pretty good.
As an experienced web-developer who wanted to switch from Flask and Fastapi to Django, I found most of the information in this book redundant. At the end of the day, as a beginner in Django, I didn't learn as much about framework.
If you're already accustomed to web-development, I'd recommend skipping this book and going straight to Django for APIs and Django for Professionals by the same author.
If you're just starting with Python and want to build and deploy something simple asap - by all means, pick this book, it's pretty good.
December 5, 2018
best Django book
January 8, 2023
This was timely and useful for me. I'm planning to read all three of William S Vincent's Django books because I've just moved from a job focussed on Ruby on Rails to one focussed on Django (and Vue, but that's another story). It is a relief to be back using Python, but I want to get to grips with Django.
I read this fast, slowing down for the bits that seemed useful (or intriguing) and speeding up for the bits I suspect we do differently at work (e.g. authentication). We do not use Heroku but deployment is deployment so it was good to get a gentle intro to some of the complexities (and simplicities!) there.
One thing for readers to bear in mind is the user model. The Django docs recommend extending AbstractUser (i.e. here https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.1... ) which is what Vincent recommends. However he recommends it while stating that the documentation recommends extending the more complicated AbstractBaseUser. That is not the case. There is also no mention of the UserProfile approach. This is the method preferred by Vincent's co-host Carlton Gibson and there's a brief interesting discussion on this about 30 minutes into their episode about learning Django: https://djangochat.com/episodes/how-t...
The term "view" has always confused me in Django, a big thank you to Vincent for sorting that one out.
I read this fast, slowing down for the bits that seemed useful (or intriguing) and speeding up for the bits I suspect we do differently at work (e.g. authentication). We do not use Heroku but deployment is deployment so it was good to get a gentle intro to some of the complexities (and simplicities!) there.
One thing for readers to bear in mind is the user model. The Django docs recommend extending AbstractUser (i.e. here https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.1... ) which is what Vincent recommends. However he recommends it while stating that the documentation recommends extending the more complicated AbstractBaseUser. That is not the case. There is also no mention of the UserProfile approach. This is the method preferred by Vincent's co-host Carlton Gibson and there's a brief interesting discussion on this about 30 minutes into their episode about learning Django: https://djangochat.com/episodes/how-t...
The term "view" has always confused me in Django, a big thank you to Vincent for sorting that one out.
May 12, 2023
Django for Beginners 4.0
Good book that walks you through building five different web web applications from scratch. I am a beginner with Django and this was a nice introduction to class-based views.
Will says in the introduction that this book is for everyone, and I do think it can serve as someone's first Django book, but I think you need to be an intermediate-level Python programmer before tackling this. If you're new to Python, I would recommend starting with Python Crash Course which has Django material and also serves as an introductory Python text.
I read the Django for Beginners 4.0 version, whereas the current edition is 4.2. I didn't have any issues except in the last chapter when I was readying a Django website for production. Specifically, I came across an error when I tried to create a PostgreSQL database on Heroku using the free hobby-dev tier. I'm guessing this is because Heroku changed it's free services this past year and I did not try to troubleshoot.
Overall good book, I'm glad I read, and hope to read Will's other titles (Django for APIs and Django for Professionals) in the future.
Happy learning!
Good book that walks you through building five different web web applications from scratch. I am a beginner with Django and this was a nice introduction to class-based views.
Will says in the introduction that this book is for everyone, and I do think it can serve as someone's first Django book, but I think you need to be an intermediate-level Python programmer before tackling this. If you're new to Python, I would recommend starting with Python Crash Course which has Django material and also serves as an introductory Python text.
I read the Django for Beginners 4.0 version, whereas the current edition is 4.2. I didn't have any issues except in the last chapter when I was readying a Django website for production. Specifically, I came across an error when I tried to create a PostgreSQL database on Heroku using the free hobby-dev tier. I'm guessing this is because Heroku changed it's free services this past year and I did not try to troubleshoot.
Overall good book, I'm glad I read, and hope to read Will's other titles (Django for APIs and Django for Professionals) in the future.
Happy learning!
November 12, 2022
This is a smart buy.
This book has the best step-by-step instructions for beginners that I have come across. The author is easy to read. One could learn everything they need to build basic web applications.
A few things to keep in mind
Heroku is no longer accessible for free, so you may need to pay or put a credit card on file. Also, SendGrid may require a wait of a few days for validation. However, the SendGrid section comes later in the book, so if you are reading this, it is a good idea to sign up for your SendGrid account early.
One last thing, I encounter zero issues due to the author not being clear, which is rear for me and is the main reason I give this book five stars. William S Vincent uses proper Django format and syntax, which makes learning more reassuring for those who what better code. Overall this is the best book for learning Django as a beginner hand down, in my opinion.
This book has the best step-by-step instructions for beginners that I have come across. The author is easy to read. One could learn everything they need to build basic web applications.
A few things to keep in mind
Heroku is no longer accessible for free, so you may need to pay or put a credit card on file. Also, SendGrid may require a wait of a few days for validation. However, the SendGrid section comes later in the book, so if you are reading this, it is a good idea to sign up for your SendGrid account early.
One last thing, I encounter zero issues due to the author not being clear, which is rear for me and is the main reason I give this book five stars. William S Vincent uses proper Django format and syntax, which makes learning more reassuring for those who what better code. Overall this is the best book for learning Django as a beginner hand down, in my opinion.
January 12, 2024
I've read [Django 4 By Example: Build powerful and reliable Python web applications from scratch] before opening this book, so I'm glad to make a comparison now for those hesitating on choosing which book to improve Django skill.
[ Djano 4 by Example ] has various application practices to implement in the book so that book is much thicker than this one. It seems a good deal to have it. However, I found some code snippets need to be more friendly to new guys.
[ Django for Beginners ] focuses on only one application: a tiny newspaper app. It allows the author to pay more attention to explaining the details of Django (not much though). The shortcoming is one application cannot teach you many amazing techs. (Such as a payment system, which really should be included) Besides, the appearance of the newspaper app shown by this book is really...... aesthetic challenging, I have to say.
[ Djano 4 by Example ] has various application practices to implement in the book so that book is much thicker than this one. It seems a good deal to have it. However, I found some code snippets need to be more friendly to new guys.
[ Django for Beginners ] focuses on only one application: a tiny newspaper app. It allows the author to pay more attention to explaining the details of Django (not much though). The shortcoming is one application cannot teach you many amazing techs. (Such as a payment system, which really should be included) Besides, the appearance of the newspaper app shown by this book is really...... aesthetic challenging, I have to say.
June 28, 2020
3.5+. Read most of the chapters, skipped Bootstrap, email, password reset, comment chapters. Official doc should be closely followed while reading to truly better understand Django as the technical details have often been ignored or watered down. Chapters related to form, authentication, permission will be most valuable for beginners.
January 4, 2023
Great starter book
This is a great resource for anyone who has python experience and wants to take the leap into Django. I am a professional Python developer, and found this book easy to follow with great examples and explanations as to the "why", not just the " how". Looking forward to jump into the next two books in this series.
This is a great resource for anyone who has python experience and wants to take the leap into Django. I am a professional Python developer, and found this book easy to follow with great examples and explanations as to the "why", not just the " how". Looking forward to jump into the next two books in this series.
April 30, 2020
Good hands-on book that teaches you the basics of Django.
Could be improved with less page wasting (e.g. screenshots of an entire code file when only 1 line of code has changed) and applying the process of (code project - build tests - upload to github & heroku) for the last project as well.
Could be improved with less page wasting (e.g. screenshots of an entire code file when only 1 line of code has changed) and applying the process of (code project - build tests - upload to github & heroku) for the last project as well.
May 24, 2020
Best Django Tutorial Ever
The author put a lot of effort to elaborate all the details. Most of the other django books skip the basics but he did not. You can make basic CRUD app with this book. I recommend this book with all my honest.
The author put a lot of effort to elaborate all the details. Most of the other django books skip the basics but he did not. You can make basic CRUD app with this book. I recommend this book with all my honest.
October 17, 2020
Good book for newbie who have minimal knowledge in python programming.
Author makes it fun to learn django.
Topic is precise and compact, reading and practise each can be done in an hour.
A good foundation book not to be missed.
Author makes it fun to learn django.
Topic is precise and compact, reading and practise each can be done in an hour.
A good foundation book not to be missed.
July 4, 2023
Fantastic learning experience
This book's approach to learning by building and deploying projects, along with the author's easy to follow style makes this a must have book on web development.
This book's approach to learning by building and deploying projects, along with the author's easy to follow style makes this a must have book on web development.
dnf
November 22, 2023I finished 3 chapters and I hate it. It’s all typing things by rote, with all the explanations above my head. Apparently Flask is an easier Python web framework to get started with; I’ll try that instead.
April 29, 2025
This is a very fundamental guide to Django. The author teaches through a set of minor projects that will take you from setting them up to deploying them.
A very basic read. Recommended if you're new to Django.
A very basic read. Recommended if you're new to Django.
July 30, 2018
One of the best Django tutorial out there to get started with.
July 27, 2019
This book is very helpful and the best one to start with.
Want to read
September 26, 2019Great Book
March 24, 2020
Incredibly well-written, concise, and helpful tutorial book. When it comes to teaching frameworks to beginners, this is how it's done.
July 17, 2020
Great hands-on intro to Django! It only assumes rudimentary Python 3.0 knowledge and some familiarity with HTML and CSS syntax. It guides you through some useful real-world projects as well!
March 28, 2021
The book is expensive for an online purchase, as well as the book doesn't cover Functional view or dive in-depth into Django concepts or classes. highly unrecommended.
March 21, 2022
A great way to start Django without getting overwhelmed. You need to know basic Python
October 10, 2022
The best intro Django book ever. It takes you step by step to understand.
November 7, 2022
Very simple but effective. It's a good way to start learning Django if you have zero experience.
April 10, 2023
pretty good
February 19, 2021
Finally I get it
This book draws back the curtains of confusion and frustration. A must read and must have for your Django needs.
This book draws back the curtains of confusion and frustration. A must read and must have for your Django needs.
October 31, 2020
If you want to learn Django in a clean, concise way, with in-depth explanations, and where all the examples work, this is it!
I highly recommend it.
I highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews