In the first three articles of this four-part series comparing different Python web frameworks, we covered the Pyramid[1], Flask[2], and Tornado[3] web frameworks. We've built the same app three times and have finally made our way to Django[4]. Django is, by and large, the major web framework for Python developers these days and it's not too hard to see why. It excels in hiding a lot of the configuration logic and letting you focus on being able to build big, quickly.
That said, when it comes to small projects, like our To-Do List app, Django can be a bit like bringing a firehose to a water gun fight. Let's see how it all comes together.
About Django
Django styles itself as "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." And they really mean it! This massive web framework comes with so many batteries included that oftentimes during development it can be a mystery as to how everything manages to work together.
In addition to the framework itself being large, the Django community is absolutely massive. In fact, it's so big and active that there's a whole website[5] devoted to the third-party packages people have designed to plug into Django to do a whole host of things. This includes everything from authentication and authorization, to full-on Django-powered content management systems, to e-commerce add-ons, to integrations with Stripe. Talk about not re-inventing the wheel; chances are if you want something done with Django, someone has already