Django Docker-Ready Project Structure

Containerized Django with Docker Compose, Gunicorn, and Nginx. Ready for production deployment.

#django #python #docker #deployment #backend

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Project Directory

myproject/

manage.py

config/

__init__.py

settings/

__init__.py

base.py

local.py

production.py

Docker-specific settings

urls.py

wsgi.py

asgi.py

apps/

core/

__init__.py

apps.py

models.py

views.py

urls.py

migrations/

__init__.py

docker/

Docker configuration

django/

Dockerfile

Multi-stage build

entrypoint.sh

Wait for DB, migrate

start.sh

Gunicorn startup

nginx/

Dockerfile

nginx.conf

Reverse proxy config

default.conf

Server block

postgres/

init.sql

Initial DB setup

scripts/

Helper scripts

wait-for-it.sh

Wait for service

backup-db.sh

restore-db.sh

templates/

base.html

static/

css/

js/

staticfiles/

collectstatic output (gitignored)

media/

User uploads (volume mount)

requirements/

base.txt

local.txt

production.txt

gunicorn, psycopg2

docker-compose.yml

Development stack

docker-compose.prod.yml

Production overrides

.env.example

.env.docker

Docker-specific vars

.dockerignore

.gitignore

Makefile

Common commands

Why This Structure?

This structure separates Docker configs into docker/ with per-service subdirectories. Multi-stage Dockerfile keeps images small. Separate compose files for dev vs prod. Scripts folder for common operations like DB backups.

Key Directories

docker/django/-Dockerfile, entrypoint, Gunicorn start script
docker/nginx/-Nginx reverse proxy configuration
scripts/-Helper scripts (wait-for-it, backups)
staticfiles/-collectstatic output, served by Nginx

Docker Services

django-Gunicorn serving the app on port 8000
nginx-Reverse proxy, static files, SSL termination
postgres-PostgreSQL database with persistent volume
redis-Cache and session store (optional)

Getting Started

cp .env.example .env && cp .env.docker.example .env.docker
docker-compose build
docker-compose up -d
docker-compose exec django python manage.py migrate
docker-compose exec django python manage.py createsuperuser
Visit http://localhost

Dockerfile Stages

base-Python, system deps, create user
builder-Install Python packages to wheels
production-Copy wheels, minimal runtime image

Production Settings

DEBUG=False, ALLOWED_HOSTS from env
Database from DATABASE_URL env var
Static files served by Nginx (not Django)
SECRET_KEY from environment
SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT, CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE enabled

Trade-offs

Learning curve-Docker adds complexity for newcomers
Local dev speed-Container rebuilds slower than native
Resource usage-Multiple containers need more RAM