A programming language is a means by which a human is able to interact with a computer. There are many popular programming languages, and each one has its definitive features and uses. One of the most popular programming languages is the Python programming language.
According to Statista, by June 2021, 48% of developers prefer using Python. In terms of developer preference, it is only behind the trio that is essential for web development, i.e., JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
Python is cited as the best programming language for data science and AI. Nonetheless, it is a general-purpose programming language that can be used for almost anything that any other popular language is used for, such as web development and application development.
What is a Framework?
Now, to make development easier with programming languages, we have frameworks. The textbook definition of a framework is that it is a collection of predefined code that saves developers from reinventing the wheel.
Thus, a Python framework is a framework that facilitates development using the Python programming language. Owing to the popularity of Python, there is a diverse range of Python frameworks available. One of the most popular among them is Django, which we are going to discuss here.
What is Django?
Django is an advanced Python web framework that makes building secure and maintained websites a breeze. It is a web framework designed by experienced developers that takes care of a lot of the heavy lifting so you can focus on the design of your project instead of creating everything from scratch.
It’s open-source and free, and comes with a vibrant community, extensive documentation, and a variety of free and paid support options.
There is no technique to measure the popularity of server-side frameworks that is both trustworthy and accurate (although you can estimate popularity using mechanisms like counting the number of GitHub projects and StackOverflow questions for each platform). More appropriate questions should be:
- Is Django “popular enough” to avoid the problems that occur with unpopular frameworks?
- Is the situation still changing?
- Are there any ways to get help when you need it? And to what extent?
- Is it possible that learning Django will pay off?
Yes, Django is a popular framework, as evidenced by the number of high-profile sites that use it, the number of people who contribute to the codebase, and the number of people who offer both free and paid support.
Disqus, Instagram, Knight Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Mozilla, National Geographic, Open Knowledge Foundation, Pinterest, and OpenStack are just a few of the high-profile sites that employ Django.
With Django, You Can Create Software that is:
1. Complete
Django takes the “batteries included” approach, which means it comes pre-installed with practically everything a developer might need. Because everything you need is contained in a single “product,” everything works in unison, follows the same design principles, and includes extensive and up-to-date documentation.
2. Flexible
Django can (and has) been used to develop virtually every type of website, from content management systems and wikis to social networks and news sites. It can work with almost any client-side framework and offer content in almost any format (including HTML, RSS feeds, JSON, and XML.
Internally, it may be modified to use other components as needed, while providing options for practically any capability you might want; for example, various major databases and templating engines.
3. Safe
Django offers a framework that is designed to “do the right thing” automatically when it comes to website security, allowing developers to avoid many common security blunders.
The Python framework, for instance, prevents frequent blunders like keeping session information in cookies, which is unsafe; instead, cookies just hold a key, and the actual data is stored in the database, and it directly stores passwords rather than hashing them.
A password hash is a fixed-length number generated by using a cryptographic hash function on the password. Django can verify that a password is correct by passing it through the hash function and comparing the result to the hash value saved in the database.
However, because the function is “one-way,” even if a stored hash value is stolen, it is difficult for an attacker to deduce the original password.
Clickjacking, cross-site request forgery, SQL injection, and XSS scripting are all vulnerabilities that Django protects against by default.
4. Configurable
The full-stack Python framework has a component-based “shared-nothing” architecture, in which each component is independent of the rest and hence may be replaced or updated as needed.
Because the various components are explicitly segregated, it can scale to meet rising demand by adding hardware at any level, including caching servers, database servers, and application servers. Django has scaled to suit the needs of some of the world’s most popular (and biggest) websites. Instagram and Disqus are two examples.
5. Composable
Django programming is created with design concepts and patterns in mind, resulting in code that is easy to maintain and reuse. It uses the Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY) philosophy, in particular, to avoid unnecessary repetition and reduce the amount of code requirement of a project.
The popular Python framework also encourages the grouping of comparable functionality into reusable “applications” and, at a deeper level, into modules (following the Model View Controller design).
6. Movable
Django is implemented in Python, which is a cross-platform programming language. That means you’re not locked into a single server platform and can run your apps on a variety of systems running Linux, Windows, and macOS.
The Python framework is also well-supported by a significant number of web hosting firms, which frequently provide dedicated infrastructure and documentation for Django sites.
The Evolution of Django
Between 2003 and 2005, a web team in charge of establishing and maintaining news websites produced Django. Following the development of a few sites, the team began to factor out and reuse many of the same code and design elements. The “Django” web development framework, which was released as open-source in July 2005, came out of this common code.
The full-stack Python framework has evolved and improved from its first milestone release (1.0) in September 2008 to the most recent version 4.0. (2022).
Each edition has added bug fixes and new features, such as support for new types of databases, template engines, and caching, as well as “generic” view functions and classes that reduce the amount of code that developers must write for a variety of programming jobs.
With thousands of users and contributors, Django is currently a vibrant, collaborative open- source project. It has evolved into a versatile framework capable of producing any form of website. While the Python framework still has some characteristics that represent its origins, it has become a framework capable of developing any type of website.
Is Django Opinionated or Unopinionated?
The terms “opinionated” and “unopinionated” are often used to describe web frameworks. Let’s see how the two terms apply to the popular full-stack Python framework.
Opinionated frameworks are those that have strong feelings about the “correct” way to approach a problem. Because the right way to do anything is usually well-understood and well-documented, they frequently support rapid development in a particular domain (solving problems of a specific type).
Opinionated frameworks are, however, less flexible when it comes to solving problems outside their primary domain, with fewer options for components and approaches.
Unopinionated frameworks, on the other hand, contain significantly fewer constraints on how to connect components to achieve a goal, or even what components should be employed. They make it easier for developers to employ the best tools for a given task but at the risk of having to hunt down those components yourself.
Django is “a little opinionated and unopinionated,” as it gives you the “best of both worlds.” It includes a set of components for most web development jobs, as well as a few recommended methods for using them.
Django’s decoupled architecture, on the other hand, allows you to pick and choose from a variety of alternatives, or provide support for entirely new ones if necessary.
Conclusion
Django is a robust web development framework that facilitates fast development, and according to many developers, there is no better framework for getting your application up and operating in a few days than the Django web framework.
Django – the “Batteries Included Framework” – provides all the features a developer needs to develop flexible, robust, and scalable websites. To make things even better, it comes with a built-in admin interface that makes working with it a breeze.
Hi! I am Shekhar, a professional web & mobile app developer with expertise in MEAN Stack, Next.js, React.js, and React Native. Being interested in working with different IT technologies, I always look forward to learning something new and challenging. Along with JavaScript, I also know several other programming languages, including Python and TypeScript.