Making Django Sites More Responsive with REST and AngularJS
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The document discusses 10 steps to make a Django site more responsive by adding a REST API and using AngularJS for the front-end: 1) Create an API endpoint for the Django models, 2) Set up the JavaScript environment and install AngularJS, 3) Create a static AngularJS site, 4) Use verbatim tags to avoid conflicts between Django and AngularJS variables, 5) Connect AngularJS to the API, 6) Take advantage of the Django REST Framework features, 7) Handle asynchronous data loading, 8) Add forms and POST requests, 9) Clean up settings.py, and 10) Document the API. The goal is to keep the back-end lightweight Django while building a more responsive and
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Making Django Sites More Responsive with REST and AngularJS
- 1. Making Django sites more responsive with REST and AngularJS August 27th, 2014
- 4. A regular Django site Github: https://github.com/hanneshapke/fruitloop_django
- 5. A Django site using REST and AngularJS Github: https://github.com/hanneshapke/fruitloop_angular
- 8. The Python heroes are working on a fix PEP 3156 ! http://python-notes.curiousefficiency.org/en/latest/pep_ideas/async_programming.html
- 9. But what is the solution in the mean time?
- 11. Don’t change your project … • … because it is hip • Creates new and larger code base, time consuming • Requires a different eco system • Do it if your Django site should become responsive and more user-friendly
- 12. If you still think it’s a good idea, here are the steps.
- 13. Step #1 Create an API endpoint to your Django model
- 14. REST • Representational state transfer • Django REST Framework, tasty-pie PyDanny’s Choosing an API Framework for Django • Django REST Framework with GIS support • Django REST Framework 3 Kickstarter: £32,650
- 15. What to do? • `pip install djangorestframework` • Add to your settings.py • Create a REST serializers for your models • Create API views for your serializers • Update your urls.py
- 17. That’s it with Django.
- 19. Step #2 Set up your js environment and install AngularJS
- 20. What? A new eco system! Based on node.js?
- 21. Bower.io • Package manager for front-end js • Works like pip, but it’s pip, can be configured • Install it with `npm install -g bower` • Run `bower init` • Install packages: `bower install [package] --save`
- 22. What to do? • Created a .bowerrc file to point at the js assets folder of the django project • Installed the angular core package with `bower install angular --save` • Bower creates a bower.json file similar to your requirements.txt from pip 1 {! 2 "directory": "fruitloop_angular/assets/js/",! 3 "json": "bower.json"! 4 }!
- 23. Step #3 Create a static AngularJS site
- 24. 30 second Intro to AngularJS • Angular offers Controllers - Changes site behaviour Services - Provides data access (e.g. REST) Directives - Create your own DOM elements • Angular offers DOM attributes: ng-show, ng- repeat, ng-click, etc. 1 <tr ng-repeat="item in items">! 2 <td> {{ item.name }} - {{ item.price | currency }} </td>! 3 </tr>!
- 25. What to do? • Set up the settings path for your js assets • Created a 'static' html site and serve with Django’s TemplateView • Create a sample js array to test your Angular setup • Created a controller to serve 'static' data
- 26. Arhhh, it does’t work!
- 27. Step #4 Use {% verbatim %}
- 28. {{ isn’t {{ • Django and AngularJS use the same variable tag • Django > 1.4: Use {% verbatim %} environment • Django < 1.5: Use code here 1 // use {$ variable $} in your template! 2 // from http://django-angular.readthedocs.org/en/latest/integration.! 3 html! 4 ! 5 var my_app = angular.module('MyApp').config(function(! 6 $interpolateProvider) {! 7 $interpolateProvider.startSymbol('{$');! 8 $interpolateProvider.endSymbol('$}');! 9 });!
- 29. Step #5 Make AngularJS talk to your API
- 30. What to do? • Install angular-resource with `bower install angular-resource --save` • Create the AngularJS in services.js and configure your API endpoints (if needed) • Make the Angular controller load the data use query() for lists, use get() for single objects • Display the list in the html page
- 31. Sample code 1 var fruitServices = angular.module('fruitServices', ['ngResource']);! 2 fruitServices.factory('FruitLocationService', ['$resource',! 3 function($resource){! 4 return $resource('api/', {}, {! 5 query: {method:'GET', params:{}, isArray: true}! 6 });! 7 }! 8 ]);! • ngResource loaded, $resource becomes available • Notice `$resource (‘api/’, {}, {…});` • Configure more API methods here, e.g. PUT, DELETE, etc., if needed
- 32. Step #6 Take full advantage of the Django REST Framework
- 33. Thoughts • Use DRF Authentication methods • Use Object Persmissions • Use the serializer to the full extend e.g. serializers.RelatedField(source=‘fruit_type’)
- 34. Step #7 Use $promise, but don’t promise too much
- 35. Example
- 36. Thoughts • Encapsulate data-related code with $promise • Code will be executed when data is returned from the API 1 FruitLocationService.query().$promise.then(! 2 function (response) {! 3 response.forEach(function(location){! 4 $scope.markers.push({! 5 lat: location.latitude,! 6 lng: location.longitude! 7 });! 8 });! 9 console.log($scope.markers);! 10 }! 11 );!
- 37. Step #8 Make your form talk to your API
- 38. What to do? • Bind your form data with Angular’s ng-model • Check your API service config and see if the trailing slash doesn’t get eliminated • Set up your authentication classes for the Django REST framework 1 # Required for POST/PUT requests by the Django REST Framework! 2 REST_FRAMEWORK = {! 3 'DEFAULT_AUTHENTICATION_CLASSES': []! 4 }!
- 39. Step #9 Clean up your settings.py
- 40. What to do? • Make Django lightweight • Remove unnecessary middleware and packages • Check if you still need i18n and l18n support Turn it off if you can
- 41. Step #10 Document your API
- 42. What to do? • Once you project is running, try to document the API • Django REST Swagger is an option
- 43. Small Hints
- 44. Use AngularJS Constants … 1 angular.module('myApp')! 2 .constant('settings', {! 3 // mimic the Django STATIC_URL variable! 4 STATIC_URL: '/static/'! 5 });!
- 46. What about site performance?
- 48. Is that the end of Django?
- 50. Resources • PyDanny comments on JS and Django: https://pydanny-event-notes.readthedocs.org/en/ latest/DjangoConEurope2013/javascript_django.html • Lightweight Django: http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920032502.do# • Using Tasty-pie: http://glynjackson.org/weblog/entry/django-angular.html • Django, Angular and Authentication: http://richardtier.com/2014/03/15/authenticate- using-django-rest-framework-endpoint-and-angularjs/ • How the Django REST framework changed my life: http://www.ngenworks.com/blog/how- django-rest-framework-changed-my-life