Web development is one of the most in-demand skills today, and Python has become a go-to language for building powerful web applications. If you’re looking to break into backend development, Django is one of the best frameworks to start with.

This is a 5 part series where we’ll go from zero to a deployed Django web application. By the end, we’ll have built a bookmark manager — a practical app for saving, organizing, and tagging your favorite links. Here’s the full series outline:

  1. Getting Started with Python for Web Development (this post) — Python basics, pip, and virtual environments
  2. Creating Your First Django Project — project structure, the development server, and your first view
  3. Models & the Django Admin — defining your database models and using Django’s built-in admin panel
  4. Views & Templates — URL routing, views, templates, and building out the bookmark CRUD
  5. Authentication & Deployment — user login, protecting pages, and deploying to production

In this first post, we’ll cover the basics of Python for web development, why Django is a great choice, and how to set up your development environment with pip and virtual environments.

Why Python for Web Development?

Python is widely used for web development due to its readability, simplicity, and vast ecosystem of libraries. Here’s why it’s a great choice:

  • Beginner-Friendly: Python’s clean and readable syntax makes it easier to learn.
  • Large Ecosystem: With frameworks like Django and Flask, Python simplifies web development.
  • Scalability: Many large companies, including Instagram and Spotify, use Python.
  • Versatility: Beyond web development, Python is used in data science, machine learning, and automation.

Why Choose Django?

Django is a high-level web framework that helps developers build web applications quickly and efficiently. Here are some of its key benefits:

  • Batteries-Included: Django comes with built-in authentication, an admin panel, and ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) for database management.
  • Security First: Django provides protection against common security threats like SQL injection, XSS, and CSRF attacks.
  • Scalability: Django is used by major applications and scales well for large projects.
  • Rapid Development: The framework’s design encourages a “don’t repeat yourself” (DRY) principle, helping developers write clean and reusable code.

Setting Up Your Python Development Environment

Before diving into Django, you need to set up Python and essential tools like pip and virtual environments.

1. Install Python

First, check if Python is installed on your system:

python --version

If Python is not installed, download and install it from python.org.

2. Install the Python Package Manager (pip)

pip is the package manager for Python, used to install libraries and frameworks like Django. It usually comes pre-installed with Python. Check if you have it:

pip --version

If not, install it using:

python -m ensurepip --default-pip

3. Create a Virtual Environment

Virtual environments allow you to create isolated spaces for different projects, preventing dependency conflicts.

To create a virtual environment, run:

python -m venv myenv

Activate the virtual environment:

  • Windows:

    myenv\Scripts\activate

  • macOS/Linux:

    source myenv/bin/activate

To deactivate it, simply run:

deactivate

4. Install Django

Once your virtual environment is activated, install Django using pip:

pip install django

Verify the installation:

django-admin --version

Next Steps

Now that you have Python, pip, and Django installed, you’re ready to start your first Django project. In the next post, we’ll walk through creating a Django project, understanding its structure, and getting the development server running.

Stay tuned and happy coding! 🚀