Django Development on Windows

Overview

Any information relevant to doing Django development on Windows.

Software

• Python (version 2.7.3 ~3.2 is the version referenced by the current Django tutorial)
• Django — download link
• Cygwin (Bash shell for Windows) — There is a local version of the distribution.
• PyCharm IDE for Django/Python development

IDE

PyCharm

I have been using PyCharm. There are other options, but this seems to offer a lot.

• Can connect to databases from within the IDE.
• Debugger.
• Runs a server within the IDE for debugging purposes.
  Similar this command from the Django tutorial:

c:/myproject> python manage.py runserver 8080

• Can create a Django project
  Analog to the following command from the Django tutorial:

c:/myproject> django-admin.py startproject mysite

Other IDEs

TODO: ad any notes on other IDEs as they are used or tested. Esp. any features that they offer that PyCharm does not.

A lot of people simply use vim or notepad++. But those are simply text editors, albeit with pretty-print in the case of notepad++. They don't offer debuggers or database browsers.

Debugging

PyCharm

• Create all Django projects to be debugged from within PyCharm:
  This will create a project environment where the PyCharm debugger can run.
  • File > New Project
  • Project name: [project name]
  • Location: [d:\path\to\parent_dir] (PyCharm will match the actual project directory name to the project name.)
  • Project type: Django Project
  • Click OK
  • Enter app name and template directory in the next dialog if desired.
  • Click OK
• Run the debugger once the code has been added.
  • Run > Debug ProjectName
  • This will start up a server running the site on `http://127.0.0.1:8080 (or whatever port is configured in the configuration).
  • Set the appropriate breakpoints.
  • Load the site in a browser to test GET requests.
  • Run curl` to test POST requests.
  • PyCharm will stop execution at the breakpoints.