DEV Community: Gladys Barasa

Day 4 of Django

Gladys Barasa — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 18:56:46 +0000

Introduction

Hello, today is my fourth day of the 20 days of Django and I am excited to share what I did. I worked on my project structure. Stay with me..

Since I already installed django and python, I was set to begin.

Step 1: Create a Django Project

Open a terminal (or PyCharm terminal) and run:
django-admin startproject ProjectTG
cd ProjectTG

This creates the ProjectTG folder with the main project files.

Step 2: Create Two Django Apps

Let’s name them blog and store

This creates two new folders: blog/ and store/.

Step 3: Register Apps in `settings.py`

In ProjectTG/settings.py, add your apps:

Step 4: Set Up Templates Directory

Still in settings.py, configure Django to look in a templates directory:

Then, I created this structure:

Also create templates folders in each app:

Step 5: Define Views for Each App

Each app will have two views.

`blog/views.py`

`store/views.py`

Step 6: Create URL Configs

In `ProjectTG/urls.py`:

Create `blog/urls.py`:

Create `store/urls.py`:

Step 7: Add Templates

Create these HTML files:

`blog/templates/blog/home.html`

`blog/templates/blog/about.html`

`store/templates/store/home.html`

`store/templates/store/products.html`

Step 9: Run the Server

Start the Django development server:

Conclusion

The process was a little bit challenging but I am glad I managed

Day 2 of Django

Gladys Barasa — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:24:02 +0000

Git & GitHub Made Easy: Master Forking, Collaboration, PRs & More in Simple Steps

I carried out research on the above activities and learnt a lot about them. Let's break down 8 essential Git and GitHub skills every developer should know.

I used the following resources for my research and learning process

1. Forking

Forking means copying someone else's repository to your own GitHub account.
You can experiment or contribute without affecting the original project.

2. Collaboration

Working on a project with others—sharing changes, assigning tasks, reviewing code, and more.
Why it's useful: You build together, faster.

3. Pull Requests (PRs)

A pull request is how you propose changes to someone’s project or branch.
Why it's useful: Others can review, discuss, and approve your code before merging.

4. Merge Conflicts

Happens when Git can’t automatically combine changes from different branches.
Why it's useful: Teaches you to resolve code disagreements and avoid overwrites.

5. Code Review

Reviewing someone else's code changes and suggesting improvements.
Why it's useful: Improves code quality, catches bugs, and enhances learning.

6. GitHub Issues

Track bugs, features, and tasks using GitHub’s built-in issue tracker.
Why it's useful: Helps manage development tasks in a structured way.

Git Commands What it is: Terminal commands for tracking, committing, and pushing changes.

Must-Know Commands:

8. Pushing Changes to GitHub

After committing your work locally, you use git push to upload it to GitHub.
Why it's useful: Keeps your remote repository in sync with your local work.

My conclusion

Learning Git and GitHub is like learning the language of collaboration.
Start small, practice often, and don’t hesitate to contribute to open-source projects. The more you pull, the better you get.

My First article on Dev Community

Gladys Barasa — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 20:09:45 +0000

Setting Up Git, Python, WSL, Docker & GitHub SSH on Windows"

Setting up a modern development environment on Windows can feel like a maze—between Git, Python, WSL, Docker, and SSH keys, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But hey don't give up
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll walk you through everything I did to set up a powerful and efficient development workflow on Windows that’s ready for serious coding, DevOps, and cross-platform development.

** Tools We’ll Set Up:**
-Git
-Python 3.10+
-Text Editor (VS Code or PyCharm)
-WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
-Docker
-GitHub SSH Authentication

1. Install Git

Git is essential for version control and working with GitHub.

Steps:

Download Git from git-scm.com
Run the installer (use default options)
Restart your terminal Verify:

2.Install Python 3.10+

Steps:
Download Python 3.10+ from: https://www.python.org/downloads/
During setup:
Check “Add Python to PATH”
Click Install Now
Verify:

3. Choose a Code Editor

I chose *PyCharm * for my workflow
-Download: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/

-Choose Community Edition (Free)

-Install

4.Install WSL (Linux for Windows)

WSL lets you run Linux commands and tools directly on Windows. Steps:
Ensure the PC has virtualization enabled
Open PowerShell as Administrator
Run:
wsl --install
This installs Ubuntu by default
Restart your PC

Verify:
wsl --version

5. Install Docker

Docker lets you run containers for development and testing.

Steps:

Download Docker Desktop: https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/
During installation:
Enable WSL2 Integration
Start Docker and log in

Verify:

6. Configure Git with GitHub via SSH

Step A: Generate SSH Key

Press Enter to accept the default file location

Step B: Start ssh-agent and add your key

Step C: Add the Key to GitHub

Copy the output
Go to GitHub → Settings → SSH and GPG Keys → New SSH Key
Paste and save

Step D: Test SSH Connection

Setting all this up may seem like a lot, but now I’ve built a powerful, environment right on my Windows machine. This setup is ideal for backend development, Python scripting, and DevOps workflows.

Your thoughts??