Template Basics

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Django Templates(DOCUMENTATION)

Django templates are HTML files with special syntax for inserting dynamic content. The template system separates design from Python code.

Setting Up Templates

Create a templates directory in your app:

polls/
├── templates/
│   └── polls/           # Namespaced to avoid conflicts
│       └── index.html
├── models.py
└── views.py

Or configure a project-wide templates directory in settings.py:

python
# mysite/settings.py
TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
        'DIRS': [BASE_DIR / 'templates'],  # Project-wide templates
        'APP_DIRS': True,  # Also check app templates/ directories
        ...
    },
]

Basic Template Syntax

Variables

Display values using double curly braces:

html
<!-- polls/templates/polls/detail.html -->
<h1>{{ question.question_text }}</h1>
<p>Published: {{ question.pub_date }}</p>

Access attributes, methods, dictionary keys, and list items:

html
{{ user.username }}          <!-- Attribute -->
{{ user.get_full_name }}      <!-- Method (no parentheses) -->
{{ my_dict.key }}             <!-- Dictionary key -->
{{ my_list.0 }}               <!-- List index -->

Filters

Transform values with filters using the pipe | symbol:

html
{{ name|lower }}              <!-- lowercase -->
{{ name|upper }}              <!-- UPPERCASE -->
{{ name|title }}              <!-- Title Case -->
{{ text|truncatewords:30 }}   <!-- Truncate to 30 words -->
{{ date|date:"F j, Y" }}      <!-- Format date -->
{{ value|default:"N/A" }}     <!-- Default if empty -->
{{ list|length }}             <!-- Count items -->
{{ price|floatformat:2 }}     <!-- Format number -->
{{ html|safe }}               <!-- Mark as safe HTML -->

Tags

Tags provide logic and control flow:

html
{% if user.is_authenticated %}
    <p>Welcome, {{ user.username }}!</p>
{% else %}
    <p>Please log in.</p>
{% endif %}

{% for question in questions %}
    <li>{{ question.question_text }}</li>
{% empty %}
    <li>No questions available.</li>
{% endfor %}

Rendering Templates

Using render()

The most common way to render templates:

python
# polls/views.py
from django.shortcuts import render
from .models import Question


def index(request):
    questions = Question.objects.order_by('-pub_date')[:5]
    context = {
        'questions': questions,
        'page_title': 'Latest Questions',
    }
    return render(request, 'polls/index.html', context)
html
<!-- polls/templates/polls/index.html -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>{{ page_title }}</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>{{ page_title }}</h1>
    <ul>
    {% for question in questions %}
        <li>{{ question.question_text }}</li>
    {% endfor %}
    </ul>
</body>
</html>

Template Context

The context is a dictionary mapping variable names to values:

python
context = {
    'question': Question.objects.get(pk=1),
    'choices': Choice.objects.filter(question_id=1),
    'total_votes': 42,
    'show_results': True,
}
return render(request, 'polls/detail.html', context)

Common Pitfalls

  • Calling methods with parentheses in templates: In Django templates, write {{ user.get_full_name }} without parentheses. Adding () will cause a template syntax error.
  • Forgetting {% load static %} before using {% static %}: The static tag requires loading the static template tag library first.
  • Not namespacing app templates: Place templates in app/templates/app/ (not just app/templates/) to avoid name collisions between apps.

Best Practices

  • Keep templates simple: Move complex logic to views or template tags, not inline template code.
  • Use template filters for formatting: Apply |date, |truncatewords, and |default filters instead of formatting data in Python views.
  • Always escape user input: Django auto-escapes variables by default. Only use |safe when you are certain the content is safe HTML.

Summary

  • Django templates combine HTML with {{ variables }} and {% tags %} for dynamic content
  • Use render(request, template, context) to pass data from views to templates
  • Filters (|lower, |date, |default) transform variable output
  • Tags ({% if %}, {% for %}, {% url %}) provide logic and control flow
  • Templates are stored in app/templates/app/ directories for proper namespacing

Code Examples

python
from django.shortcuts import render
from .models import Question

def index(request):
    questions = Question.objects.order_by('-pub_date')[:5]
    context = {
        'questions': questions,
        'page_title': 'Latest Questions',
    }
    return render(request, 'polls/index.html', context)
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