django debug toolbar

Abstract

Django Settings 
if settings.DEBUG:
    import debug_toolbar

    urlpatterns += [
        path('__debug__/', include(debug_toolbar.urls)),
    ]

    urlpatterns += static(settings.MEDIA_URL, document_root=settings.MEDIA_ROOT)

#or

if settings.DEBUG:
    import debug_toolbar
    urlpatterns = [
        path('__debug__/', include(debug_toolbar.urls)),
    ] + urlpatterns

Separating Django settings for production and local development environments is a common practice to ensure that sensitive information (like database credentials, secret keys, debug mode, etc.) used in production remains secure and different from those used in development. Here's how a senior programmer might typically approach this:

1. Create Separate Settings Files: The senior programmer would typically create separate settings.py files for each environment.

For example:

  • settings.py: Main settings file containing common settings.
  • settings_production.py: Settings specific to the production environment.
  • settings_local.py: Settings specific to the local development environment.

2. Common Settings: Keep common settings in the main settings.py file. These are settings that are shared between both production and local environments.

3. Environment-Specific Settings: Place environment-specific settings in their respective files (settings_production.py for production and settings_local.py for local development). This includes sensitive information like database credentials, secret keys, debug mode settings, etc.

4. Use Environment Variables: Instead of hardcoding sensitive information directly into the settings files, utilize environment variables. This allows for greater flexibility and security. For instance, you might read the database credentials from environment variables in both settings_production.py and settings_local.py.

5. Use Conditional Imports: In settings.py, import the environment-specific settings based on the current environment.

For example:

import os

if os.environ.get('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE') == 'project.settings_production':
    from .settings_production import *
else:
    from .settings_local import *

6. Set DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE: Ensure that the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE environment variable is set appropriately for each environment. For production, it should point to project.settings_production, and for local development, it should point to project.settings_local.

7. Version Control: Ensure that sensitive settings are not committed to version control repositories. Use techniques like .gitignore to exclude sensitive files or environment variables from being tracked by version control systems.

8. Documentation: Clearly document the purpose and usage of each settings file to help other developers understand the project's configuration.

By following these practices, the senior programmer ensures that the Django project can seamlessly switch between different environments while maintaining security and consistency across deployments.

DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE is an environment variable used by Django to determine which settings file to use for a particular Django project.

When you run a Django management command (such as runserver, makemigrations, migrate, etc.) or deploy a Django application, Django needs to know which settings file to load to configure the project. This is where the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE environment variable comes into play.

The value of DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE specifies the Python path to the settings module for the Django project. For example, if your project is named myproject and your settings module is named settings, then the value of DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE would be myproject.settings.

Here's how it works:

  1. When you run a Django management command, Django looks for the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE environment variable.
  2. If DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE is set, Django loads the settings module specified by its value.
  3. If DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE is not set, Django falls back to the default settings module (settings.py).

You can set the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE environment variable in various ways:

  • Manually in your shell or terminal before running Django commands or deploying your application.
  • In your development environment, you might set it in your IDE's configuration or in your virtual environment's activation script.
  • In production environments, it's often set in the server configuration or deployment scripts.

For example, if you're using Bash or a compatible shell, you can set the environment variable like this:

export DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=myproject.settings

And in Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell:

set DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=myproject.settings

Or, you can specify it inline when running Django management commands:

python manage.py runserver --settings=myproject.settings

By setting DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE appropriately, you can ensure that Django loads the correct settings for your project in different environments.