How to Install Django: Step-by-Step Guide

Django is a powerful and popular Python web framework that makes it easy to build secure, scalable, and feature-rich web applications. If you’re ready to get started with Django, this guide will walk you through the installation process step by step.

Step 1: Prerequisites

Before you install Django, ensure you have Python installed on your system. Django supports Python 3.6 or later.

• To check if Python is installed,
• open your terminal or command prompt and
• type: python --version or python3 --version
• If Python is not installed, download it from the official Python website and follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

Step 2: Install pip

pip is Python’s package manager, which is required to install Django.

• To check
• if pip is installed,
• run: pip --version or pip3 --version
• If pip is not installed, you can follow the instructions on the pip installation page.

Step 3: Create a Virtual Environment (Recommended)

Using a virtual environment isolates your project’s dependencies and avoids conflicts with other Python packages on your system.

• Create a virtual environment
• by running:
• python -m venv env or python3 -m venv env
• Activate the virtual environment:
  • Windows: .\env\Scripts\activate
  • Mac/Linux: source env/bin/activate
• When activated,
• your terminal prompt will display the environment name, e.g., (env).

Step 4: Install Django

With the virtual environment activated, install Django using pip:

pip install django

To verify the installation, run:

django-admin --version

You should see the installed version of Django.

Step 5: Create a Django Project

Now that Django is installed, you can create your first project:

1. Use the django-admin command to
2. create a new project:
3. django-admin startproject myproject
4. Navigate into your project directory:
5. cd myproject

Step 6: Run the Development Server

To test if everything is set up correctly, run Django’s development server:

python manage.py runserver

Open your web browser and visit: http://127.0.0.1:8000/

Step 7: Install Additional Packages (Optional)

Depending on your project requirements, you might need additional packages. For example, to work with Django REST Framework:

pip install djangorestframework

You can find more Django-compatible packages in the Python Package Index (PyPI).

Step 8: Deactivate the Virtual Environment

When you’re done working on your project, deactivate the virtual environment by typing:

deactivate