Chapter 4: URLs, Views, and Templates

In this chapter, we will build the URL patterns that route to different views, processing a request sent to the server. One of the jobs of a view is to send processed information in the form of context to a template that will be used to render static or dynamically changing content. By the end of this chapter, we will have created several URL patterns for the user to visit and view data. Some examples will trigger errors or not-found exceptions on purpose to help demonstrate the concepts provided in this chapter.

Django is based on what is called the Model-Template-View (MTV) architectural design pattern, which is similar to the well-known Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern used for a variety of popular web-based software systems today. The view in both of these architectural design patterns is what sometimes confuses people who are starting to learn Django and come from an MVC background. In both patterns, the model is the same, and...