Django – Create Virtual Environment

Welcome to The Coding College, your trusted resource for programming tutorials and tips! In this guide, we’ll cover how to create a virtual environment for Django projects. Virtual environments are crucial for maintaining clean and isolated Python environments, ensuring that your projects run smoothly without dependency conflicts.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to set up a virtual environment, install Django, and start your project efficiently.

What is a Virtual Environment?

A virtual environment is a self-contained directory that includes a Python interpreter and libraries specific to a project. It helps you:

  • Isolate dependencies for different projects.
  • Avoid conflicts between library versions.
  • Keep your global Python environment clean.

Using a virtual environment is considered a best practice when working with Django or any Python project.

Prerequisites

Before creating a virtual environment, ensure you have the following:

  1. Python Installed: Python 3.6 or higher is recommended for Django.
  2. Pip Installed: Comes bundled with Python; used to install virtualenv.
  3. Basic Command Line Knowledge: Familiarity with terminal or command prompt commands.

Step 1: Install virtualenv

To create a virtual environment, you first need the virtualenv tool. Install it globally using pip:

pip install virtualenv

Verify the installation by checking the version:

virtualenv --version

If the command outputs a version number, you’re ready to proceed!

Step 2: Create a Virtual Environment

Navigate to the directory where you want to store your Django project. Then, create a virtual environment using the following command:

virtualenv venv

Here’s what this does:

  • virtualenv: The command to create a virtual environment.
  • venv: The name of your virtual environment folder. You can replace this with any name.

Once created, you’ll see a folder named venv in your project directory.

Step 3: Activate the Virtual Environment

To use the virtual environment, you need to activate it.

On Windows:

venv\Scripts\activate

On macOS/Linux:

source venv/bin/activate

After activation, your command prompt or terminal will show the virtual environment’s name in parentheses, like this:

(venv) C:\Users\YourUsername\YourProject>

This indicates that you’re now working inside the virtual environment.

Step 4: Install Django

With the virtual environment activated, you can now install Django:

pip install django

Check the installed Django version:

django-admin --version

The Django installation is now specific to your virtual environment, ensuring no conflicts with other projects.

Step 5: Start Your Django Project

Create a new Django project while in the virtual environment:

django-admin startproject myproject

Navigate to your project folder and start the development server:

cd myproject  
python manage.py runserver

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

Step 6: Deactivate the Virtual Environment

When you’re done working, deactivate the virtual environment using:

deactivate

This returns you to the global Python environment.

Best Practices for Using Virtual Environments

  • Always Activate Before Working: Remember to activate the virtual environment before running Django commands.
  • Use a .gitignore File: Add venv/ to your .gitignore file if you’re using version control (e.g., Git) to avoid pushing the virtual environment to a repository.
  • Document Dependencies: Use pip freeze to generate a list of dependencies: 
pip freeze > requirements.txt
  • This allows you to recreate the environment using: 
pip install -r requirements.txt

Why Learn with The Coding College?

At The Coding College, we focus on providing step-by-step guides to help developers of all levels excel in programming. From setting up your environment to building complex applications, we’ve got you covered!

Final Thoughts

Creating and using a virtual environment is an essential skill for Django developers. It ensures your projects remain clean, manageable, and conflict-free. Follow this guide to set up your first Django project in an isolated virtual environment, and you’ll be off to a great start!

For more tutorials, tips, and resources, visit The Coding College. Let us know in the comments how this guide helped you or what you’d like to learn next!

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