django and python
django · Software · Websites django
At Vizrt there is alot of python, and although I wish I could have jumped on the bandwagon and started messing around more with Ruby, I am enjoying working with python where the scripts are properly authored.
So I was looking for a nice framework that would give me Rails style speed of prototyping web applications whilst using Python and after looking at the usual suspects (Turbogears, pylons, zope & plone) I am again playing around with Django again.
Django is nice, not too heavy weight, seems flexible and uses the best parts of python – its go anywhere sensibilities coupled to only write things once, to a semi – MVC style of creation (well it has models and views – thats a start).
Its not quite as mature as Rails, but in these days of million user Beta & Gamma web applications thats hardly going to put anyone off, I can host it on Dreamhost with the help of the excellent tutorial from Jeff Croft here: http://www2.jeffcroft.com/2006/may/11/django-dreamhost/ (and his site is powered by Django, and is quite a stunning showcase).
I also like the fact in Django that it has a web admin interface plus a shell interface, that the web admin can be completely transformed and then rolled out into the application.
The only wonder that I had was whether I could build something using PostgreSQL (I much prefer using PostgreSQL, and have it on all my dev machines at home) and then publish it to Dreamhost and use MySQL. There is one cmd,
manage.py syncdb
that setups the database access layer and looking at the examples if I don’t write any custom SQL statements then I might be able to get away with it. I really wish Dreamhost would support PostgreSQL.
Django could also do with a nice webforum for support, but the IRC channel has many users on, and I take my hat off to them for supplying the code for the actual support website – Well done. I suppose I will have to wait until some creates a forum – or maybe they could install vanilla. Created by me old man Neven, and one of the nicest bits of forum software I have seen.
For a quick overview of Django take a look at: http://www.djangoproject.com/documentation/overview/
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