Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with django

How do I use data from data.gov?

Blandanomics — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:50:31 -0800

I'm a journalist with not much database programming experience. However I have been fascinated by the government and other agencies making their data available for developers to play with, and I think a newspaper could do wonders with this data. How do I get in on the fun? Transit agencies are making their times available the gov't just released records at data.gov.

What languages should I learn to manipulate these datasets to make some good applications and visualizations? Example I have in mind are the Guardians treatment of PM expenses and EveryBlock.

Should I learn Django, Ruby, Pyton? All? None?

Should I use Flex to make a front-end for a job board?

ckohrman — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:03:22 -0800

Are there any problems with building the front-end for a job board in Adobe Flex? The back-end for the site will be in Python (Django). And my programmer suggests to save time and money, we create the front-end interface with Adobe Flex. I know it used to be a bad idea to make an entire site in Flash... if I made the front-end in Flex, would I be setting myself up for problems? If so, what alternatives should I consider?

Which to use: PHP, Django, Rails or something else?

teracloth — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 10:53:10 -0800

What programming language or framework should I use for my simple Web database project? Here's my project: taking a database of local property assessment data and posting it, searchably and sortably, onto a usable public Web site. Ideally with goodies like a mobile-friendly version, links to Google Maps and so forth.

I want to do this, in part, because I want to learn skills that'll be useful in future public-facing Web projects.

I know HTML and can wrangle PHP about as well as I could speak Spanish after two years in high school. I messed around a little with Django back in 2006, but didn't seem to have the basic programming vocabulary that its creators assumed.

I've been running a couple Wordpress blogs off a Dreamhost server for a couple years, so the hosting is lined up.

There's no deadline, but I'm giving myself one week to work on this full-time.

Right now, I'm thinking of either:

- doing it all in PHP/MySQL (the boring and perhaps sloppy option)
- diving into Django again (the dogged option)
- trying to learn Rails, like the friends keep telling me (the A.D.D./ambitious option)

My questions:

- Are Django and Rails way too overpowered for this project?
- At this point, is Django looking like a dead end? Should I be investing my framework-learning energy in the broader Rails community?
- Should I be considering some other option altogether, such as Drupal?

Django hosting recomendations

phyle — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:39:47 -0800

Web hosting recomendations - Im very new to web development but have been slowly setting up a website with django and im starting to think about hosting. I know there are a lot of web dev people here so I thought it might be a good place to ask.
So my requirements are-
-Django friendly, perhaps with helpful support because I imagine I am going to run in to all sorts of technical problems.
-Apparently I will also need shell access so I can set up something called cron jobs? I have a python script Id like to run every hour or so that updates a database.
Thanks for any help!

get_thumbnail_dimensions_from_image()

Mach5 — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:47:33 -0800

Can one find the coordinates (x,y,height,width) of a thumbnail taken out of the original image, programmatically? I run a highly dynamic photo sharing website that takes thumbnails of the photos that users upload. It automatically uses the center of the photo as the thumbnail, 75px by 75px, but users can change it with a handy javascript applet. They can make the thumbnailified area bigger, but it forces them to keep the 1:1 ratio, and it's downsized if it is bigger than 75x75.

So here in lies the rub: I'm pushing a redesign, and the thumbnails are now 100x100. I was dumb and did not log the thumbnail dimensions. I'd really really really like those numbers, not only to make the thumbnails bigger and look less blurry, because I know we'll also eventually be printing these out, and I'm going to want a sharper image to send to the printer.

The big question: Can I get, with some software, the x, y, h, and w of the thumbnail with some sort of fuzzy image comparison? Can image magick do this? My language of choice is python, so anything using that will be cake.

Help me pick a web dev language to learn.

the_dude — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:31:15 -0800

I am trying to decide which web language + framework to focus on for learning this summer. I am stuck between PHP, Python (with Django maybe) or Ruby (on Rails). Basically, I am asking for people's input on all languages. They all have their ups and downs and I'm pretty sure I'll have to learn all of them at some point but I have start somewhere. Here is my initial perspective on all. Correct me, add relevant info and make suggestions.

PHP
+I actually have a passing knowledge of PHP. Not enough maybe to create something big but I have added small features, worked on cleaning other people's code
+It's very common.
-It somewhat seems unprofessional, probably because I feel like everyone and their mom has done something with it.

Ruby
+It's the new cool.
-It's the new cool.
+It seems very elegant and easy to learn, especially for developing something for the web with Rails.
+For some reason, the RoR community seems very friendly and I approve of their ideas a lot.

Python
+It's a lot more serious than Ruby, I feel like. It might be more useful for other things too as a standalone language
+Similar outlook on stuff with RoR community.
-Maybe not as big community for learning as it is with PHP and RoR. Not sure about this but others definitely have a lot of stuff.

Anyway, thanks a lot for reading along.

Also, if you would care to make a suggestion, I'd appreciate some books or websites to start things off with.

Here snakey, snakey, snake

zackola — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:17:23 -0800

What's the de facto python web framework in active development/use today? Hi, For my next small project, I've settled that I would like to use a python-based framework. What's the best one out there today? This isn't meant to start a flame war. I think I'm primarily looking at TurboGears, Django, and web.py. Web.py is appealing because of its small size and simplicity. However I am having trouble nailing down best practices in terms of application design. It is almost too free form to be considered a framework IMHO. I need structure and limitations! Also, I am worried about the lack of documentation and updates. On the other end of the spectrum TurboGears seems jam packed with features and doohickeys I'm not sure I'll ever need. What's anyone out there using? I'd love to hear your experiences and what you are using different frameworks for currently.