Intro to Django Lab Setup

Setup

Open your Terminal application and navigate to your ~/code/ga/labs directory:

cd ~/code/ga/labs

Django Tutorial Setup

Create a Database for the Project

PostgreSQL requires that a database be created manually before it can be used in projects. For our Django tutorial, we will create a database named polls.

Here’s how to create the polls database using PostgreSQL:

createdb polls

Alternatively, you can use the PostgreSQL interactive terminal to create the database:

psql
CREATE DATABASE polls;
\l  # Lists all databases to confirm 'polls' has been created
\q  # Exit the psql shell

Make sure to note the username displayed next to the database name in the list, as you might need it depending on your PostgreSQL setup.

Initialize a Django Project Environment

Step 1: Set Up Your Project Directory

Navigate to your desired directory (e.g., ~/code/ga/lectures) and create a new directory for your Django project:

mkdir my-django-project
cd my-django-project

Step 2: Install Django Using Pipenv

Initialize a new virtual environment and install Django:

pipenv install django

This command creates a new Pipfile and Pipfile.lock in your project directory, specifying Django as a dependency.

Look Familiar? This step is similar to npm init and npm install all in one.

Step 3: Activate the Virtual Environment

Activate the pipenv shell, which is a subshell for your project:

pipenv shell

Your terminal prompt will change to indicate that you are working within a virtual environment.

Step 4: Start Your Django Project

Now that your environment is ready, you can begin the actual Django tutorial for creating your first Django app:

• Follow the tutorial steps for setting up your Django project. Make sure to use the Django admin commands within the environment you just activated.

Deactivating the Virtual Environment

When you’re done working in the virtual environment, you can deactivate it by typing:

exit

This will return you to your normal shell environment.