FolderStructure.dev

Django Multi App Project Structure

Multiple Django apps with separated concerns. Standard approach for medium-sized projects.

#django #python #web #backend #modular
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Project Directory

myproject/
manage.py
config/
Project configuration
__init__.py
settings/
Split by environment
__init__.py
base.py
Shared settings
local.py
Dev overrides
production.py
Prod overrides
test.py
Test overrides
urls.py
Root URL config
wsgi.py
asgi.py
apps/
All Django apps here
users/
Custom user model
__init__.py
admin.py
apps.py
models.py
views.py
urls.py
forms.py
managers.py
Custom user manager
migrations/
__init__.py
tests/
__init__.py
test_models.py
test_views.py
blog/
Example feature app
__init__.py
admin.py
apps.py
models.py
views.py
urls.py
forms.py
migrations/
__init__.py
tests/
__init__.py
test_models.py
test_views.py
__init__.py
templates/
Project-wide templates
base.html
Master template
404.html
500.html
users/
login.html
profile.html
blog/
post_list.html
post_detail.html
static/
Project-wide static files
css/
js/
images/
media/
User uploads (gitignored)
requirements/
Split requirements
base.txt
local.txt
production.txt
.env.example
.gitignore
pytest.ini

Why This Structure?

This structure separates apps into their own directory, uses split settings for different environments, and centralizes templates at the project level. It scales well for teams of 2-5 developers working on distinct features.

Key Directories

  • config/settings/-Environment-specific settings (base → local/prod/test)
  • apps/-All Django apps grouped together, not scattered at root
  • templates/-Project-level templates, organized by app name
  • requirements/-Split dependencies matching settings structure

Settings Strategy

  • base.py-INSTALLED_APPS, middleware, shared config
  • local.py-DEBUG=True, SQLite, django-debug-toolbar
  • production.py-DEBUG=False, PostgreSQL, security headers
  • test.py-Fast password hasher, in-memory cache

Getting Started

  1. Create virtualenv and install requirements/local.txt
  2. cp .env.example .env and set DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=config.settings.local
  3. python manage.py migrate
  4. python manage.py createsuperuser
  5. python manage.py runserver

Creating New Apps

  • cd apps && django-admin startapp newapp
  • Add "apps.newapp" to INSTALLED_APPS in base.py
  • Create apps/newapp/urls.py with urlpatterns
  • Include in config/urls.py: path("newapp/", include("apps.newapp.urls"))

When To Use This

  • Projects with 3-10 distinct feature areas
  • Small teams (2-5 developers)
  • Multiple deployment environments needed
  • Projects expecting 6+ months of development

Trade-offs

  • More files-Split settings add complexity vs single settings.py
  • Import paths-"apps.blog.models" instead of "blog.models"
  • Initial setup-Takes longer than single-app but pays off quickly