Top Django Framework Books

The Django web framework is documented in detail on the official website: there is theory and background information and guides for newbies. However, despite the quality, not all beginners like this documentation. Well, you have two ways. The first is to enroll in training courses . The second is to once again look at the shelves of online stores. This is what we are going to do today with the GeekBrains team.

Django Python Web Application Development - Jeff Forsier, Paul Bissex, Wesley J. Chan

You will not find a lot of literature on Django in Russian, and this is another reason to study the official manual more closely. But since we started talking about books, this is one of the most popular.
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Information about Django and its capabilities in this book is rather outdated (it is already 10 years old), but it is still quite suitable for a basic acquaintance with the environment. The book is written in a good language, translated to match, there is enough code and basic techniques for designing a site. In general, it will be suitable as a base, but for work you will have to purchase something more relevant.

Django: the practice of creating Web sites in Python - Vladimir Dronov

The second most popular book on Django in online stores in Russian. As in the past case, there is a problem with an outdated version of the framework and, accordingly, capabilities. Another disadvantage is the lack of consistency of presentation. The emphasis is not on the step-by-step algorithm that the novice is looking for, but on the “bottlenecks” in the creation of the site (according to the author). The result was a book for those who have already learned the basics, but have not yet become a professional.

REST APIs with Django: Build powerful web APIs with Python and Django - William S. Vincent

From the Russian market, let's move on to the Western one, there is much more literature there, and the quality one there. Here is one of the best books to study Django, in particular, when creating a web API. Despite the relatively small size (less than 200 pages), the development process from the general theory of web interfaces to diagrams and documentation is described in great detail here.

Test-Driven Development with Python: Obey the Testing Goat: Using Django, Selenium, and JavaScript - Harry JW Percival

According to the annotation, with the author wanted to explain to himself young all the algorithms and tools that he uses today. And, in general, he succeeded. But it is worth noting that Django and Python are just one of the “stops” in development, so the book will not work as a basic guide. But if you already have skills in the field of the web, but you want to add new knowledge, this book will be very useful.

Django for Beginners: Build websites with Python and Django - William S. Vincent

Most of the reviews written on this book on the Amazon website suggest that this is almost an ideal replacement for the official manual. In fact, there are two significant advantages:

1. All actions are chewed in detail, so the reader does not have questions: "Why is it like this?"
2. Even if something is not clear to you, you can send your question by e-mail. They say William is in charge.

But do not forget that the book is for beginners, so it’s impossible to go further than creating a basic site.

Two Scoops of Django 1.11: Best Practices for the Django Web Framework - Daniel Roy Greenfeld

This is the fourth reprint of the book, which, like all previous ones, has received many positive reviews. In fact, this is one of the best educational books on Django. Here you will find everything from the correct code style to a detailed description of all the flaws in the framework. Carefully read all 35 chapters, complete all practical tasks - and you can consider yourself a ready-made specialist.

Mastering Python: Machine Learning, Data Structures, Django, Object Oriented Programming and Software Engineering - Michael B. White

In contrast to the previous book, this is a fairly general guide to Python and what you can do with it. Django and the web are not the main topics here, but perhaps they are the ones who receive the most attention. The book is suitable for those who want to learn Python (for example, because it is easy enough), but does not know yet what can be created with it. "Mastering Python ..." will help you decide.

Django Unleashed - Andrew Pinkham

Another good support, laid more than 800 pages of printed text. According to the style of presentation of the material, according to the speed with which the author moves through the development cycle, “Django Unleashed” is a printed retelling of official documentation. That is, the book is ideal for those who can not be trained in "screen" literature, or those who need a physical reference book.

Build your first website with Django 2.1: Master the basics of Django

The book describes the entire application development cycle using Django, and also tells about the competent creation of web resources in general. It has a couple of flaws: a relatively small number of examples, at least for guidance, and a complete disregard for the second version of Python. The latter is understandable and excusable, but the absence of a “reference” code for some fundamental actions is difficult to understand.

As we see, there are not so many real alternatives to official documentation on the market. Some books lack relevant information or useful examples, but, in general, almost everything can be used as an additional guide to read outside the Internet.

And how did you study Django?