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Chemutai Brenda
Chemutai Brenda

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Day 5: Django Architecture: Models, Views and Templates.

python #learning #frontend #development

Today I focused on understanding and applying Django’s MVT(Model View Template) architecture, (model, views and templates) the foundation of how Django apps work.

## MODEL – Data layer.
So what is a Model in Django?
I understood Model as a Python class used to define the structure of your database.

Django uses it to create tables automatically, based on your field definitions.

It handles all data-related operations: Create, Read, Update, Delete (CRUD). For example in my previous project I added this kind of model.

from django.db import models

class Item(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    description = models.TextField()
    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)

    def __str__(self):
        return self.name
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## VIEW – Logic Layer
What is a View in Django?
A View is a Python function (or class) that handles the logic behind a page.

It receives a request, fetches data (usually from the Model), and returns a response (usually a rendered Template).

I created a view to fetch data from the database and send them to the template:

from django.shortcuts import render

def home(request):
    return render(request, 'app1/home.html')
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## TEMPLATE– Presentation Layer
You are probably wondering what is a Template in Django?

  • A Template is an HTML file used to display content to the user.

It uses Django’s built-in Template Language (DTL) to display variables, loop through data, and include logic.
So in both apps I used the the templates as in the previous article.

<!-- blog/templates/blog/post_list.html -->

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>My Users</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>All Users</h1>
    {% for user in users %}
        <div>
            <h2>{{ user.full_name }}</h2>
            <p>{{ user.bio }}</p>
        </div>
    {% empty %}
        <p>No USers available.</p>
    {% endfor %}
</body>
</html>
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## URL – Routing Layer
what are URLs in Django?
The URL configuration connects user requests (like http://localhost/products) to the correct view.

URLs act like a bridge between the browser and the backend logic.
Then I used my URLs in my previous article.
URL configuration

from django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.users_list, name='users_list'),
]
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HOW IT ALL CONNECTS (MVT FLOW):

User types http://localhost:8000/products/ URL routes it to views.

  • View calls the Product model View
  • Model fetches data from the database Model
  • View passes data to the template View
  • Template displays data in HTML Template
  • Summary of Each Part
  • Part Django File Purpose

View- views.py Contains logic to fetch/process data
Template templates/.html Displays data using HTML & DTL
URL- urls.py Connects browser requests to views.

Conclusion
Using the MVT architecture separates concerns cleanly:
• Model:
Defines your data.
Defines structure of database tables

• View:
Handles logic and retrieves data.
Contains logic to fetch/process data

• Template:
Renders the output.
Displays data using HTML & DTL

  • URLS Connects browser requests to views.

This structure helps you write clean, maintainable code and scale your project efficiently.

My Reflection on Day 5

Understanding how each MVT part plays its role helped me finally see Django as a full web framework — not just scattered files. Now I can create real, working web pages powered by Python and databases, not just static HTML.

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