Any good Django books?

Question

I'm new to web development was looking into getting into it for the first time. A friend recommended Django which apparently semirecently released version 1.2. Are there any good books out yet for 1.2?

Answer 1

If you want info on the latest of anything, it's unlikely that books are keeping up. Your best bet is the docs that are available on-line. That's the only source that has a hope of being 100% up to date.

Answer 2

http://djangobook.com/en/2.0/

also Google "Instant Django" (Can't post more than 1 link, sorry)

I followed tutorials from those two sites for a few days before I started my own project. Those and Google can build you a web app. I am using Django 1.1.2 and Python 2.6 and have found a lot of plug ins for these versions that have made my life easier.

If you know basic OOP then Python isn't too bad to get the swing of (at least the basics). Just Google Python tutorial and you'll have plenty to choice from.

Answer 3

Online stuff is the best source for the most up to date info, but the basics don't really change much (since 1.0 anyway), and I've personally gotten a lot out of Practical Django Projects 2nd ed.. It doesn't cover every feature available, but there are some good best practices to be learned in it's pages.

Personally, I think books offer a more holistic approach to learning than what is typically found online. Not that there isn't quality content online; there certainly is, but I typically feel that I've gained a more solid understanding of a subject after completing a book than a tutorial. YMMV.

I also just picked up Django Testing and Debugging 1.1, and my initial impressions are pretty good. It's already helped me in writing better, more comprehensive tests in my current project.

BTW I linked to the publisher's site, you should be able to find these much cheaper on Amazon.

Answer 4

I'm new to Django (but not Python or web frameworks), and have a couple of books on the topic. Here's my quick Django book reviews:

Django Visual QuickPro Guide (Django 1.1)

This is a fast introduction to Django. It picks one example application, and walks you through installing Django, creating your application, hooking it to a database, styling templates, building forms, and adding user authentication.

Thin book, with lots of pictures. Not a lot of substance, but good for introducing managers to Django.

The Definitive Guide to Django, 2nd Edition (Django 1.1)

This is, as the title indicates, a definitive guide to the topic. Everything you're going to encounter while building and deploying a large Django application is covered here. The first section of the book will walk you through the basics of building a Django application, while the remainder of the book will flush out things that were glossed over in the beginning. Written by 2 of the main Django developers.

This is my go-to book, before I hit the Django website, or the Django source code. Worth the money.

Pro Django (Django 1.1)

This is a book that will show you where all of the deep dark secrets of Django can be found, and how to use them. Also a good preparation for becoming a Django developer/committer.

I bought this book first, and immediately got lost. Not for the beginner, but once you get your feet wet, there's a lot of good information.

Pro Python (Python 3.1)

While you're at it, if you're looking to learn more about Python, have a look at this one. Lots of good information about Python, and how it's transitioning from 2.5/2.6/2.7 to 3.0/3.1. Of course, since Django is currently firmly targeted to Python 2.X, this is a little off topic, but it's good to keep an eye on the future...