Django Framework Addendum
Injected into file-analyzer and architecture-analyzer prompts when Django is detected. Do NOT use as a standalone prompt — always appended to the base prompt template.
Django Project Structure
When analyzing a Django project, apply these additional conventions on top of the base analysis rules.
Canonical File Roles
| File / Pattern | Role | Tags |
|---|---|---|
manage.py |
CLI entry point for dev server, migrations, management commands | entry-point, config |
*/settings.py, */settings/*.py |
Project-wide configuration (DB, installed apps, middleware) | config |
*/urls.py |
URL routing — maps URL patterns to views | api-handler, routing |
*/views.py, */views/*.py |
Request handlers (function-based or class-based views) | api-handler, controller |
*/models.py, */models/*.py |
ORM models — map to database tables | data-model |
*/serializers.py |
DRF serializers — convert models to/from JSON | serialization, api-handler |
*/forms.py |
Django forms — validation and rendering logic | validation, ui |
*/admin.py |
Admin site registrations — exposes models in Django admin | config |
*/signals.py |
Signal handlers — cross-cutting side effects on model events | event-handler |
*/tasks.py |
Celery async task definitions | service, event-handler |
*/middleware.py, */middleware/*.py |
Request/response middleware classes | middleware |
*/permissions.py |
DRF permission classes | middleware, validation |
*/filters.py |
DRF filter backends | utility |
*/migrations/*.py |
Auto-generated schema migrations — do not summarize individually | config |
*/templates/**/*.html |
Django HTML templates | ui |
*/templatetags/*.py |
Custom template filters and tags | utility |
*/management/commands/*.py |
Custom management commands (./manage.py mycommand) |
config, entry-point |
wsgi.py, asgi.py |
WSGI/ASGI server adapter — production entry point | config, entry-point |
*/apps.py |
App configuration and startup hooks (AppConfig) |
config |
*/tests.py, */tests/*.py |
Unit and integration tests | test |
Edge Patterns to Look For
URL routing graph — Create calls edges from urls.py nodes to their corresponding view nodes when path() or re_path() maps a URL pattern to a view function or class. These edges represent the HTTP routing chain.
Signal wiring — When signals.py uses post_save.connect(handler, sender=Model) or @receiver(post_save, sender=Model), create subscribes edges from the signal handler function to the model class. Create publishes edges from the model to the signal handler to show the trigger direction.
ORM relationships — When models.py defines ForeignKey, OneToOneField, or ManyToManyField, create depends_on edges between the model classes with a description indicating the relationship type and cardinality.
Serializer-to-model binding — When a DRF serializer has model = MyModel in its Meta class, create a depends_on edge from the serializer to the model.
View-to-serializer binding — When a DRF ViewSet or APIView references a serializer class, create a depends_on edge from the view to the serializer.
Architectural Layers for Django
Assign nodes to these layers when detected:
| Layer ID | Layer Name | What Goes Here |
|---|---|---|
layer:api |
API Layer | views.py, serializers.py, urls.py, DRF ViewSets and APIViews |
layer:data |
Data Layer | models.py, migrations/, database utility files |
layer:service |
Service Layer | signals.py, tasks.py, custom managers, service modules |
layer:ui |
UI Layer | templates/, forms.py, templatetags/ |
layer:middleware |
Middleware Layer | middleware.py, permissions.py, authentication backends |
layer:config |
Config Layer | settings.py, urls.py (root), wsgi.py, asgi.py, apps.py, manage.py |
layer:test |
Test Layer | tests.py, tests/ directory, conftest.py |
Notable Patterns to Capture in languageLesson
- Fat models vs. thin views: Django encourages business logic in model methods, keeping views thin HTTP adapters
- Django ORM lazy evaluation: QuerySets are not evaluated until iterated — chain filters without DB hits
- Class-based views (CBVs): Mixins like
LoginRequiredMixin,PermissionRequiredMixincompose behavior through multiple inheritance - Signal anti-patterns: Signals create invisible coupling; a signal in
signals.pymay be triggered by asave()call anywhere in the codebase - App isolation: Each Django app (
INSTALLED_APPS) should be self-contained with its own models, views, urls, and migrations