Python Django E-commerce Project Syllabus

Django E-commerce Project syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Django E-commerce Project in Python, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Setup Development Environment

   3 topics

   • Install Python and pip
   • Install Django
   • Set up a virtual environment
2. 2

   Create Django Project

   2 topics

   • Start a new Django project
   • Configure project settings
     • Set up database connection
     • Add installed apps
3. 3

   Create Django Apps

   4 topics

   • Create app for user management
   • Create app for product catalog
   • Create app for shopping cart
   • Create app for order processing
4. 4

   Build User Management System

   3 topics

   • Set up user registration
   • Implement user authentication
   • Create user profile management
5. 5

   Develop Product Catalog

   3 topics

   • Design product models
   • Create views for product listing
   • Implement product detail views
6. 6

   Implement Shopping Cart Functionality

   3 topics

   • Create cart models
   • Develop add to cart functionality
   • Implement cart view and management
7. 7

   Build Order Processing System

   3 topics

   • Design order models
   • Implement checkout process
   • Create order history views
8. 8

   Integrate Payment Gateway

   3 topics

   • Choose a payment gateway
   • Set up payment gateway API
   • Implement payment processing
9. 9

   Add Additional Features

   3 topics

   • Implement search functionality
   • Add product reviews and ratings
   • Create admin dashboard
10. 10

    Testing and Debugging

    3 topics

    • Write unit tests
    • Perform integration testing
    • Debug and fix issues
11. 11

    Deploy to Production

    3 topics

    • Choose a hosting provider
    • Set up production environment
    • Deploy the application

Django E-commerce Project flashcards for Python

22 of 51 cards from the Django E-commerce Project deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What command verifies that Python is installed and shows its version on your system?

   Run `python --version` (or `python3 --version`). It prints the installed interpreter version, e.g. `Python 3.12.0`, confirming Python is on your PATH.

2. What is pip and what command upgrades it to the latest version?

   pip is Python's package installer for downloading packages from PyPI. Upgrade it with `python -m pip install --upgrade pip`.

3. Which command installs Django using pip, and how do you pin a specific version?

   `pip install django` installs the latest release. To pin a version use `pip install django==4.2` (specify the exact version after `==`).

4. Why should every Django project use a virtual environment?

   A virtual environment isolates project dependencies from the global Python installation, preventing version conflicts between projects and making the dependency set reproducible.

5. What commands create and activate a virtual environment with the built-in venv module?

   Create: `python -m venv venv`. Activate on macOS/Linux: `source venv/bin/activate`; on Windows: `venv\Scripts\activate`. Deactivate with `deactivate`.

6. How do you record and later reinstall a project's dependencies?

   Freeze them with `pip freeze > requirements.txt`, then reinstall elsewhere with `pip install -r requirements.txt`.

7. Which command starts a brand-new Django project named `ecommerce`?

   `django-admin startproject ecommerce` (or `django-admin startproject ecommerce .` to avoid a nested folder). It scaffolds the project package and `manage.py`.

8. What is the role of `manage.py` in a Django project?

   `manage.py` is a command-line utility wrapping `django-admin` with the project's settings preconfigured. It runs management commands like `runserver`, `migrate`, `makemigrations`, and `createsuperuser`.

9. List the files created inside the inner project package by `startproject`.

   `__init__.py`, `settings.py` (configuration), `urls.py` (root URL routing), `asgi.py` and `wsgi.py` (deployment entry points).

10. What command runs Django's development server and what is the default address?

    `python manage.py runserver`. It serves at `http://127.0.0.1:8000/` by default; pass an argument like `runserver 8080` to change the port.

11. In `settings.py`, what does the `INSTALLED_APPS` list control?

    It registers all applications (built-in, third-party, and your own) that Django activates—enabling their models, migrations, templates, and admin integration. You must add each new app here.

12. What is the purpose of the `SECRET_KEY` setting and what should you do with it in production?

    `SECRET_KEY` is used for cryptographic signing (sessions, CSRF tokens, password resets). In production it must be kept secret, never committed to source control—load it from an environment variable instead.

13. What does setting `DEBUG = False` change, and what must you also configure?

    It disables detailed error pages and auto-static serving for production safety. You must then populate `ALLOWED_HOSTS` with the domains/IPs permitted to serve the site, or Django raises a `DisallowedHost` error.

14. How is a database configured in `settings.py`, and what is Django's default engine?

    Via the `DATABASES` dictionary with a `default` key specifying `ENGINE`, `NAME`, etc. The default engine is `django.db.backends.sqlite3` using a local `db.sqlite3` file.

15. What is the difference between `django-admin startproject` and `python manage.py startapp`?

    `startproject` creates the overall project (settings, root URLs, WSGI/ASGI). `startapp` creates a single reusable application (models, views, admin) inside that project. A project contains many apps.

16. Which command creates the app for user management in the e-commerce project?

    `python manage.py startapp accounts` (or `users`). After creating it, add `'accounts'` to `INSTALLED_APPS`.

17. What standard files does `startapp` generate inside a new app directory?

    `__init__.py`, `admin.py`, `apps.py`, `models.py`, `tests.py`, `views.py`, and a `migrations/` package. You typically add `urls.py` and `forms.py` yourself.

18. In a typical e-commerce Django project, what is the responsibility of the product catalog app?

    It defines `Product` and `Category` models, product listing and detail views, and manages browsing/searching the inventory of items available for sale.

19. What does the shopping cart app handle that the order app does not?

    The cart app manages the in-progress, mutable selection of items (add, update quantity, remove) before checkout, often stored in the session. The order app records the finalized, immutable purchase after checkout.

20. What four high-level stages typically define an order's lifecycle in the order processing app?

    Created/Pending, Paid, Shipped, and Delivered (with Cancelled/Refunded as alternates). The `Order` model usually stores a `status` field reflecting the current stage.

21. What is the conventional split between an `Order` model and an `OrderItem` model?

    `Order` holds buyer info, totals, status, and timestamps (one per checkout). `OrderItem` holds each purchased product, its quantity, and unit price—linked to the order via a `ForeignKey` (many items per order).

22. Which built-in Django form simplifies user registration, and what does it provide?

    `django.contrib.auth.forms.UserCreationForm`. It provides username, password1, and password2 fields with validation, and creates a new `User` on `form.save()`.

See more Django E-commerce Project flashcards →

Planning Django E-commerce Project for Python

Django E-commerce Project (Python) FAQ