Django Forums

A sample forums app built on the Django framework. I built this app to learn Django more, and I wanted to learn how to do a parent/child database model to also learn that aspect of Django.

Includes:

• forums, threads and posts (reply in threads)
• subscribe to threads and get email notifications
• custom user model (email instead of username)
• optionally login via github account
• user profile in a separate model from user
• e-mail verification
• django debug toolbar (only in development)
• docker files for spinning up containers (python and postgresql)
• basic tests for pages, users and forums
• different settings files for development and production
• basic Bootstrap styling
• api via Django REST Framework

Production and development settings

The setting file are split up in production and a development settings files. Also the project have one docker-compose.yml for production and one for development. Within the docker-compose files you can find the parameter for which settings file to use on the runserver command. To make it easier and less to type for each command, there is a Makefile with different common operations.

Quick start

Note: I haven't tested setting this up this project as below on Windows or Linux. Only on MacOS.

1. Clone this repository

https://github.com/Joeriksson/django-forums-app.git

2. Install Docker Desktop to be able to use the docker environment.

3. Create an .env file in the root folder with the the following parameters:

SENDGRID_PASSWORD=<you sendgrid password>
SENDGRID_USERNAME=<your sendgrid username>
SECRET_KEY=<your secret key>
DEBUG=True

Note: you don't need a Sendgrid account when using the development settings. It sends mail to the console by default

3. In the directory where you cloned the repository, run the following command:

make dev_build

4. The container should now be up and running. Check in you browser that you see a start web page at http://127.0.0.1:8080

5. Run a migration to build the databases

make dev_web_exec cmd='python manage.py migrate'

6. Create a Django super user to log in to the admin

make dev_web_exec cmd='python manage.py createsuperuser'

7. Goto the admin pages (see urls.py) and login with the super user account you just created.

If you want to stop the container run:

make dev_down