final_project.md

Final Project: Django Web Application

Overview

Build a small Django web application that demonstrates the workflows we practiced together: setting up a project, creating models, wiring views, and rendering templates. Focus on a clear user story, clean presentation, and documentation that lets a classmate run the project without surprises.

Core Requirements (Workshop Skills)

• Start a fresh Django project and app using django-admin startproject and python manage.py startapp (see workshop_13/web for reference).
• Define at least two related models (e.g., Category → Product) and apply the migrations.
• Register your models in the Django admin and load enough sample records so pages have real data.
• Build one list view and one detail view (function-based or class-based) that return context data to templates.
• Create templates that render those views, reuse shared navigation, and display meaningful empty states when no records exist.
• Link pages together (e.g., list → detail → back to list) so the user can move through the app smoothly.

Technical Checklist (Workshop Skills)

• Work inside a virtual environment and track dependencies with requirements.txt.
• Keep project code inside a dedicated Django app (core, tracker, etc.) with models, views, templates, and urls.py grouped logically.
• Document the commands to install dependencies, run migrations, create a superuser, and start the development server.

Milestones

1. Proposal: Submit a short design brief describing the problem, target users, core models (fields/relationships), and key pages.
2. Prototype: Implement the data models, migrations, and admin site registration. Share screenshots or admin URLs.
3. Beta: Finish your list/detail views, templates, and sample data. Request peer feedback on usability.
4. Launch: Polish styling, finalize documentation, and demo the application running locally.

Deliverables

• Django project folder tracked in Git with clear commit history.
• README.md at the project root explaining setup, usage, and known limitations.
• requirements.txt for replicating the environment.
• Screenshots or a short screencast showing the core user flow.
• Optional: Deployed version on Render, Railway, or PythonAnywhere (link in README).

Optional Enhancements (Research & Explore)

• Add create/update forms with ModelForm to manage content directly in the app: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/topics/forms/
• Implement search or filtering to narrow results: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/topics/db/queries/#retrieving-specific-objects-with-filters
• Introduce template inheritance with a shared base layout: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/ref/templates/language/#template-inheritance
• Move secrets (e.g., SECRET_KEY) into environment variables using python-dotenv or similar: https://djangostars.com/blog/configuring-django-settings-best-practices/
• Seed the database with fixtures or a management command for quick demos: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/howto/initial-data/
• Explore deployment to a hosted service such as Render or PythonAnywhere: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/howto/deployment/checklist/
• Experiment with automated tests if you want extra coverage: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/topics/testing/overview/

Research Links

• Official Django tutorial: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/intro/tutorial01/
• Django Girls step-by-step guide: https://tutorial.djangogirls.org/en/
• Mozilla Django Local Library walkthrough: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/Server-side/Django
• Template language reference: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/ref/templates/language/
• Working with class-based views: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/topics/class-based-views/
• Static files and styling: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/howto/static-files/