I'm using Django and Python 3.7. I used PyCharm to create a project and it created the following directory structure (some of the custom additions are my own):
mainpage
__init__.py
__pycache__
admin.py
apps.py
fixtures
management
migrations
models.py
services.py
templates
mainpage
trending.html
tests.py
urls.py
views.py
mainpage_project
__init__.py
__pycache__
settings
wsgi.py
manage.py
templates
venv
The file "urls.py" looks like the below
from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path
from . import views
urlpatterns = [
path('trending', trending, name='trending'),
]
I'm confused about where "urls.py" should go and what it should contain. When I start up my server, it gives me the following error
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'mainpage_project.urls'
(venv) localhost:mainpage_project davea$ python manage.py runserver
Performing system checks...
Unhandled exception in thread started by <function check_errors.<locals>.wrapper at 0x103096950>
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/utils/autoreload.py", line 225, in wrapper
fn(*args, **kwargs)
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py", line 117, in inner_run
self.check(display_num_errors=True)
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/core/management/base.py", line 379, in check
include_deployment_checks=include_deployment_checks,
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/core/management/base.py", line 366, in _run_checks
return checks.run_checks(**kwargs)
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/core/checks/registry.py", line 71, in run_checks
new_errors = check(app_configs=app_configs)
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/core/checks/urls.py", line 40, in check_url_namespaces_unique
all_namespaces = _load_all_namespaces(resolver)
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/core/checks/urls.py", line 57, in _load_all_namespaces
url_patterns = getattr(resolver, 'url_patterns', [])
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/utils/functional.py", line 37, in __get__
res = instance.__dict__[self.name] = self.func(instance)
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/urls/resolvers.py", line 533, in url_patterns
patterns = getattr(self.urlconf_module, "urlpatterns", self.urlconf_module)
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/utils/functional.py", line 37, in __get__
res = instance.__dict__[self.name] = self.func(instance)
File "/Users/davea/Documents/workspace/mainpage_project/venv/lib/python3.7/site-packages/django/urls/resolvers.py", line 526, in urlconf_module
return import_module(self.urlconf_name)
File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/lib/python3.7/importlib/__init__.py", line 127, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1006, in _gcd_import
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 983, in _find_and_load
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 965, in _find_and_load_unlocked
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'mainpage_project.urls'
Where should my "urls.py" file go and what should it contain?
You are missing urls.py
in your project mainpage_project
. i.e,
mainpage_project
__init__.py
__pycache__
settings
wsgi.py
urls.py # Here
In the words of Vitor Freitas, A Complete Beginner's Guide to Django - Part 1:
urls.py
is responsible for mapping the routes and paths in your project. For example, if you want to show something in the URL /trending/, you have to map it here first.
From your directory structure mainpage_project
is your project, mainpage
is your app.
Each app can have its own urls.py
. Django actually checks for it inside your project folder.
Typical urls.py
looks like:
from django.conf.urls import url
from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path
from mainpage import views
urlpatterns = [
path('trending', trending, name='trending'),
]
From comments, you are getting an import error when adding urls.py
because inside your urls.py
you are trying to import views
from mainpage_project
's folder.
from . import views
.
notation refers to the current directory from where it is called, i.e., the mainpage_project
directory.
And there isn't any views.py
inside the mainpage_project directory. But views.py
is present inside the mainpage
directory. So update it as:
from mainpage import views