A comprehensive guide to Python programming for web development using the most popular Python web framework - Django

Key Features

• Learn the fundamentals of programming with Python and building web apps
• Build web applications from scratch with Django
• Create real-world RESTful web services with the latest Django framework

Book Description

If you want to develop complete Python web apps with Django, this Learning Path is for you. It will walk you through Python programming techniques and guide you in implementing them when creating 4 professional Django projects, teaching you how to solve common problems and develop RESTful web services with Django and Python. You will learn how to build a blog application, a social image bookmarking website, an online shop, and an e-learning platform.

Learn Web Development with Python will get you started with Python programming techniques, show you how to enhance your applications with AJAX, create RESTful APIs, and set up a production environment for your Django projects. Last but not least, you’ll learn the best practices for creating real-world applications.

By the end of this Learning Path, you will have a full understanding of how Django works and how to use it to build web applications from scratch.

This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products:

• Learn Python Programming by Fabrizio Romano
• Django RESTful Web Services by Gastón C. Hillar
• Django Design Patterns and Best Practices by Arun Ravindran

What you will learn

• Explore the fundamentals of Python programming with interactive projects
• Grasp essential coding concepts along with the basics of data structures and control flow
• Develop RESTful APIs from scratch with Django and the Django REST Framework
• Create automated tests for RESTful web services
• Debug, test, and profile RESTful web services with Django and the Django REST Framework
• Use Django with other technologies such as Redis and Celery

Who this book is for

If you have little experience in coding or Python and want to learn how to build full-fledged web apps, this Learning Path is for you. No prior experience with RESTful web services, Python, or Django is required, but basic Python programming experience is needed to understand the concepts covered.

Table of Contents

1. A Gentle Introduction to Python
2. Built-in Data Types
3. Iterating and Making Decisions
4. Functions, the Building Blocks of Code
5. Saving Time and Memory
6. OOP, Decorators, and Iterators
7. Files and Data Persistence
8. Testing, Profiling, and Dealing with Exceptions
9. Concurrent Execution
10. Debugging and Troubleshooting
11. Installing the Required Software and Tools
12. Working with Models, Migrations, Serialization, and Deserialization
13. Creating API Views
14. Using Generalized Behavior from the APIView Class
15. Understanding and Customizing the Browsable API Feature
16. Using Constraints, Filtering, Searching, Ordering, and Pagination
17. Securing the API with Authentication and Permissions
18. Applying Throttling Rules and Versioning Management
19. Automating Tests
20. Solutions
21. Templates
22. Admin Interface
23. Forms
24. Security
25. Working Asynchronously
26. Creating APIs
27. Production-Ready

About the Authors

Fabrizio Romano was born in Italy in 1975. He holds a master's degree in computer science engineering from the University of Padova. He is also a certified scrum master, Reiki master and teacher, and a member of CNHC.

He moved to London in 2011 to work for companies such as Glasses Direct, and TBG/Sprinklr. He now works at Sohonet as a Principal Engineer/Team Lead.

He has given talks on Teaching Python and TDD at two editions of EuroPython, and at Skillsmatter and ProgSCon, in London.

Gaston C. Hillar is Italian and has been working with computers since he was 8 years old. Gaston has a Bachelor's degree in computer science (graduated with honors) and an MBA.

Currently, Gaston is an independent IT consultant and a freelance author who is always looking for new adventures anywhere in the world.

He was a senior contributing editor at Dr. Dobb's, and has written more than a hundred articles on software development topics. He has received the prestigious Intel® Black Belt Software Developer award eight times. He has written many articles about Java for Oracle Java Magazine.

Gaston was also a former Microsoft MVP in technical computing. He lives with his wife, Vanesa, and his two sons, Kevin and Brandon.

Arun Ravindran is an avid speaker and blogger who has been tinkering with Django since 2007 for projects ranging from intranet applications to social networks. He is a long-time open source enthusiast and Python developer. His articles and screencasts have been invaluable to the rapidly growing Django community. He is currently a developer member of the Django Software Foundation. Arun is also a movie buff and loves graphic novels and comics.