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Posted on Mar 3 • Edited on May 10

How to Build a Task Manager API with Django REST Framework (Step-by-Step Guide)

#django #python #webdev #beginners

Django is a powerful web framework, but when combined with Django REST Framework (DRF), it becomes a go-to tool for building RESTful APIs. Whether you're developing a backend for a mobile app, a React frontend, or simply exploring API development, DRF streamlines the process with its robust features.

This step-by-step tutorial will set up a Task Manager API using Django and DRF. By the end, you’ll have a fully functional Django project with DRF installed, ready to create API endpoints.

Prerequisites
Step 1: Create a Virtual Environment
Step 2: Install Django and Django REST Framework
Step 3: Start a Django Project
Step 4: Create a Django App for Tasks
Step 5: Configure Django REST Framework
Step 6: Create a Simple Model for Tasks
Conclusion
What’s Next?
Summary Checklist

Prerequisites

Before diving into building your Task Manager API with Django REST Framework, ensure you have:

Python 3.8+ installed (download from python.org if needed)
Basic knowledge of Python and Django
Familiarity with the command line

These essentials will help you follow along smoothly.

Step 1: Create a Virtual Environment

Start by setting up a project folder and a virtual environment to keep dependencies isolated:

# Create a project folder
mkdir taskmanager && cd taskmanager

# Create a virtual environment
python -m venv env

# Activate the virtual environment (Windows)
venv\Scripts\activate

# Activate the virtual environment (Mac/Linux)
source env/bin/activate

Once activated, your terminal will show (env), confirming the virtual environment is active.

Step 2: Install Django and Django REST Framework

Next, install Django and Django REST Framework using pip:

pip install django djangorestframework

Verify the installation:

python -m django --version

You’ll see the Django version number if installed correctly.
Django Version Check

Now, update your INSTALLED_APPS in taskmanager/settings.py to include DRF:

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'rest_framework',
]

Step 3: Start a Django Project

Initialize a new Django project called taskmanager:

django-admin startproject taskmanager .

The dot (.) ensures the project is created in the current directory.

Your project structure should now look like this:

taskmanager/
│── taskmanager/   # Project settings
│── manage.py      # Django management script
│── env/   # virtual env

Test the setup by running the server:

python manage.py runserver

Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/ in your browser to see Django’s welcome page.

Step 4: Create a Django App for Tasks

Django projects are made up of smaller apps. So let’s create an app called tasks:

python manage.py startapp tasks

Now, the Updated project structure should look like this:

taskmanager/
│── tasks/         # New Django app
│── taskmanager/   # Project settings
│── manage.py      # Django management script
│── env/   # virtual env

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'rest_framework',  # Django REST Framework
    'tasks',  # Register the tasks app
]

Step 5: Configure Django REST Framework

DRF provides many built-in features like authentication, serialization, and request handling. Add this configuration to taskmanager/settings.py:

REST_FRAMEWORK = {
    'DEFAULT_AUTHENTICATION_CLASSES': (
        'rest_framework.authentication.SessionAuthentication',
        'rest_framework.authentication.BasicAuthentication',
    ),
    'DEFAULT_PERMISSION_CLASSES': (
        'rest_framework.permissions.AllowAny',  # Change this later for security
    ),
}

This setup:

Enables basic authentication for API requests
Allows anyone to access the API (we'll restrict this later)

Step 6: Create a Simple Model for Tasks

Define a Task model in tasks/models.py:

from django.db import models

class Task(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=255)
    description = models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)
    completed = models.BooleanField(default=False)
    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)

    def __str__(self):
        return self.title

Apply the model to the database:

python manage.py makemigrations tasks
python manage.py migrate

Conclusion

Congrats! You’ve set up a Django project with Django REST Framework and created a tasks app for your Task Manager API. You’re now ready to build API endpoints!