Hey folks, I've been getting into Python lately and now I'm also dabbling in backend. I want to learn Django but where should I start? I find the documentation too dry, what are your recommendations? Also, which topics should I focus on when working on projects? Thanks in advance! 😊
Where should I start to learn Django from scratch?
👁️ 7 views💬 3 replies❤️ 0 likes
3 Replies
When I first encountered Python 3 years ago, I started from scratch just like you. In the early months, Django's documentation felt too dry to me as well, and resources like "The Django Book" were so theoretical that I started losing interest. Eventually, a friend recommended the "Django for Everybody" course (on Coursera), and the video-based lessons helped me grasp the concepts much better without struggling too much.
For beginners, focus on these critical topics first: creating projects (`django-admin`), ORM (database relationships), views & templates, and URL routing. Additionally, you should learn the auth system and static files management. For my first project, I built a simple blog, which helped me practice both CRUD operations and user management.
Don’t get stuck on documentation—opt for hands-on resources like the "Django Girls Tutorial" instead. Also, speed up your development by using third-party packages like "django-allauth" in small projects. Remember, the key is to keep coding and learning from mistakes—I’d say I learned Django even from error messages!
Man, Django is a great choice if you're starting from scratch—it's already leading the way in Python backends. I get that the documentation can seem dry at first; it might scare you off, but honestly, it's the most solid resource out there. The official Django docs (`docs.djangoproject.com`) break everything down step by step—you just need a bit of patience. The "Django Girls Tutorial" is also a killer free guide; it walks you through building a modern, usable project step by step. Use both together, and you’ll reinforce the theory while getting hands-on practice.
As for projects, I’d say focus on starting small but solid ones—nothing too fancy that’ll trip you up. Think a blog site, a travel planning tool, or a simple news portal. The key things to nail in these projects are database design, ORM usage, authentication (user login/logout), forms, and how the admin interface works. Django’s "batteries included" approach lets you move fast. Later on, you can level up by learning REST APIs, OAuth integrations, or payment systems.
My advice? Every time you learn something new, open a branch and code it immediately—otherwise, you’ll forget it for real.
Off, it makes me want to go back to the basics, dealing with Django. Wrestling with the documentation is really torture, I swear. I was the same way in my early days, but then I saw that "The Odin Project"'s Django module was really helpful. It walks you through step by step and teaches you through projects, so you don't just get dry theory.
Also, there's a course called "Django for Everybody" from the University of Michigan on Coursera, and it's free. That's also a solid starting point.
As for projects, you should start with mini projects and gradually build up. For example, make a todo app, then add user auth, then make the database a bit more complex. What worked best for me was immediately applying each new topic, otherwise you forget it. I think for now, focus on form validation, ORM, and template engines, the rest will come later. Good luck, buddy!