**Course Title:** Mastering Django Framework: Building Scalable Web Applications **Section Title:** Introduction to Django and Development Environment **Topic:** Set up a Django project and create your first application with basic routes and views.(Lab topic) **Objective:** By the end of this topic, you will be able to create a new Django project, set up a basic application, define routes, and create views to handle HTTP requests. **Prerequisites:** - You have completed the previous topics in the Introduction to Django and Development Environment section. - You have a basic understanding of Python programming. - You have set up your Django development environment (Python, pip, and virtual environments). **Step 1: Create a New Django Project** To create a new Django project, navigate to your terminal or command prompt and run the following command: ```bash django-admin startproject projectname ``` Replace `projectname` with the desired name for your project. This will create a new directory with the basic structure for a Django project. **Step 2: Create a New Django Application** Navigate into the project directory and create a new Django application using the following command: ```bash python manage.py startapp appname ``` Replace `appname` with the desired name for your application. This will create a new directory with the basic structure for a Django application. **Step 3: Define Routes** In Django, routes are defined in the `urls.py` file. Open the `appname/urls.py` file and add the following code: ```python from django.urls import path from . import views urlpatterns = [ path('', views.home, name='home'), ] ``` This defines a single route for the root URL of the application, which will call the `home` view. **Step 4: Create Views** In Django, views are functions that handle HTTP requests and return HTTP responses. Open the `appname/views.py` file and add the following code: ```python from django.http import HttpResponse def home(request): return HttpResponse('Welcome to my Django application!') ``` This defines a single view that returns an HTTP response with the text 'Welcome to my Django application!'. **Step 5: Update the Main URL Configuration** Open the `projectname/urls.py` file and add the following code: ```python from django.contrib import admin from django.urls import include, path urlpatterns = [ path('admin/', admin.site.urls), path('', include('appname.urls')), ] ``` This updates the main URL configuration to include the routes defined in the `appname/urls.py` file. **Step 6: Run the Development Server** Navigate to the project directory and run the following command: ```bash python manage.py runserver ``` This will start the Django development server, and you can access your application by navigating to `http://localhost:8000/` in your web browser. **Conclusion:** In this topic, you have learned how to create a new Django project, set up a basic application, define routes, and create views to handle HTTP requests. You have also learned how to update the main URL configuration and run the development server. **What's Next:** In the next topic, you will learn about Django models and database schema design. **Leave a comment or ask for help if you have any questions or need further clarification on any of the steps.** **External Resources:** - Django documentation: <https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.1/> - Django tutorial: <https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.1/intro/tutorial01/> **Note:** This topic is a lab topic, and you are encouraged to try out the steps on your own and experiment with different configurations and scenarios.