Views In Django
In Django’s MVT architecture, views handle user requests and return responses. They act as a bridge between models (data) and templates (UI), deciding what the user sees in the browser.
A view is a Python function or class that receives an HTTP request, processes data, and returns a response. This response can be:
- An HTML page (rendered from a template)
- A redirect (to another URL)
- An error (like 404 Not Found)
- JSON, XML, images, or any browser-compatible content
Illustration of How to create and use a Django view using an Example. Consider a project named geeksforgeeks having an app named geeks.
After you have a project ready, we can create a view in geeks/views.py,
# import HttpResponse from django
from django.http import HttpResponse
# import datetime
import datetime
# create a function-based view
def geeks_view(request):
# fetch current date and time
now = datetime.datetime.now()
# convert to string
html = "Time is {}".format(now)
# return HttpResponse
return HttpResponse(html)
Let's step through this code one line at a time:
- First, we import the class HttpResponse from the django.http module, along with Python’s datetime library.
- Next, we define a function called geeks_view. This is the view function. Each view function takes an HttpRequest object as its first parameter, which is typically named request.
- The view returns an HttpResponse object that contains the generated response. Each view function is responsible for returning an HttpResponse object.
Let's get this view to working, in geeks/urls.py,
from django.urls import path
# importing views from views.py
from .views import geeks_view
urlpatterns = [
path('', geeks_view),
]
Now, visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/.
Django View Types
Django provides two main types of views to handle web requests and return responses:
- Function-Based Views (FBVs): Written as Python functions. They are simple and ideal for small features or straightforward logic, such as displaying a list of items, handling form submissions, or showing a single detail page.
- Class-Based Views (CBVs): Written as Python classes. They offer better organization, reusability, and support for object-oriented features. They are suited for complex applications, reusable components, or features that require handling multiple HTTP methods cleanly.
Both FBVs and CBVs support the common CRUD operations: Create, Retrieve/Detail, Update, Delete.
Applications and Features:
Function-Based Views are typically used for simple features, such as:
- Displaying a list of items
- Showing details of a single object
- Handling basic form submissions
Class-Based Views are best for complex or reusable features, such as:
- Generic CRUD operations
- Multi-step forms
- Features requiring multiple HTTP methods in a clean, organized structure
Related Articles:
What is a view in Django?
-
A
A database table definition
-
B
A static HTML file
-
C
A function or class that receives an HTTP request and returns an HTTP response
-
D
A URL configuration file
Django views handle incoming requests, run logic, and return responses (for example HTML pages or redirects).
Which of these is a type of view supported by Django?
-
A
Script-Based View (SBV)
-
B
Static View (SV)
-
C
Function-Based View (FBV)
-
D
Template-Only View (TOV)
Django supports views written as simple Python functions to handle requests.
Which view type offers more structure, reusability, and built-in support for common tasks like CRUD in Django?
-
A
Class-Based Views
-
B
Function-Based Views
-
C
Template-Based Views
-
D
Static Views
Class-Based Views (CBVs) organise logic in classes, support object-oriented features, and simplify common patterns like list/detail/create/update/delete.
What kinds of tasks are Function-Based Views typically best suited for?
-
A
Complex multi-step forms and heavy logic
-
B
Template rendering only
-
C
Database migrations
-
D
Simple and straightforward requests like displaying a page or handling a form submission
FBVs are simple and direct, making them ideal for small features such as showing a list or handling a basic form.
Which of these is a built-in generic view class in Django designed to display a list of objects from the database?
-
A
DetailView
-
B
DeleteView
-
C
ListView
-
D
FormView
ListView (a class-based view) automatically fetches records and renders them in a list template, reducing boilerplate.
