A distant dream comes true with Django
Years back, when every one jumped into Java world, I was content with developing ‘Windows-only’, client-server applications.
Sometime later, I moved into CRM (customer relations management) domain and I stayed with it for years before moving into ERP domain. Though ERP products used web architecture – thereby I learnt little bit of that architecture – I was constrained to the toolset of the product.
During this time, I did attend a Java course and tried moving into it. But the ‘comfort’ of developing within ERP framework made me to stay-put (ok, to tell you the truth, the money part was good). Over the years, ‘web development’ remained a distant dream!
After a decade in CRM/ERP domain, the itching to develop for web was getting more and more day by day. So I decided to try my hands on it. In the beginning it was limited to setting up WordPress, customizing its themes and so on. WordPress’ design was simple, and efficient. Installation is 5 minutes; customizing a theme is simple; so in about 20 minutes, my blog is up and running.
Though web development with WordPress was minimal, it boosted my confidence to get into this world of unknown. Only then I realized that the web development world is so full of languages, frameworks and standards. Not to mention the flame wars between each camps – MSFT vs Open Source, Python Vs PHP, Django Vs Rails. For a long time, I got side-tracked with these flame wars, instead of doing anything useful. I would read for hours how one Python framework is better than the other one; and then watch a presentation on how Rails is the best thing that happened to the web world. After months, I knew a lots of information; but confused more than ever.
As I carried along, I observed that Django developers/users generally didn’t get into a ‘yours-is-bad-ours-is-best’ kind of argument; rather their comments were on the lines of, ‘choose a framework in the language that you already know’. That made a lot of sense to me. As I already knew Python, I decided to try Python frameworks instead of learning Java or Ruby.
Also, in most of the discussions/comments, Django developers provided information; but didn’t criticize the other party. They cleared any misinterpretation; but didn’t start any flame wars. Even when they were attacked with words like ‘they don’t know to write a decent API’, they took it pretty neatly and improved their framework. I liked that attitude and it fitted with my personality.
So I decided to try it out – coming from the corporate world, I wanted to try out a PoC (proof of concept) on Django. One of the users of Django had created a package called, ‘Instant Django’. Download it, unzip into a directory and you are on your way to play with the framework. Fantastic. Impressed at the first shot. I didn’t have to install many applications; tweak with lots of settings; painless development was possible.
Whenever I was stuck, I could log into their irc channel and I should tell you this – these guys are awesome; very knowledgeable but very helpful. You will not get a RTFM from any one of them; they might point out to the documentation; but not in a RTFM manner. Oh, Django documentation is exhaustive and neat. You don’t get lost in the sea of bytes!
So I did my first working web application in Django – a micro-blog kind of application. I show cased it to my colleagues and they loved it. Now I get a ‘here-goes-a-geek’ kind of a look from them, which of course I enjoy. And did I tell you that I could develop that over the weekend! It was a great feeling. My boss said, ‘why don’t you roll that out for our department?’. He even added that, ‘Let me talk to our folks and find out if it is ok to make it an open source’. Wow! cool. I am very happy.
Who can despise the days of little beginning? This might be the start of another exciting phase in my development carrier.
The RTFM is sadly too common, it seems that people dont want to help. Often have i seen it. These people claim that they are friendly, but they are very bossy on IRC.
It also does not help if you point out that manuals suck anyway. Very technical, hardly examples, annoying format (so few stuff available on the www normally).
I think what they need to understand is that documentation is not about providing information, but about TEACHING people, making the UNDERSTAND.
Reading a fucking manual alone isnt enough at all there.
she
12 Mar 08 at 2:11 pm
Thanks for the kind words! It’s stuff like this thats makes the whole Open Source thing so great; I really do appreciate it.
Jacob Kaplan-Moss
12 Mar 08 at 9:23 pm
You know, I was sitting on the fence for a long time, teetering between Django and Rails. Originally, I chose the latter because I’m an extreme newbie trying to build a business and thought the larger community would be more helpful and provide more security.
Well, it never just felt right and for months I thought it was my inexperience and lack of innate programming ability. But then I downloaded Dive into Python and read the Django tutorials and I was off and running. It just seemed so logical and well-documented.
I’m still a little shy about asking questions because I don’t want to abuse the help/get laughed at, but I really like the community vibe.
And just because I felt so grateful, I went and bought the Django book just to support the cause. It’s that good.
Vine77
12 Mar 08 at 10:38 pm
Oh, and I don’t mean to detract from Rails in any way. I think it’s very solid and there’s no question it does what it promises…
Django was just a better technological fit.
Vine77
12 Mar 08 at 10:40 pm
You just inspired me to land on the other side of the fence rather than just straddling it. I bought the Django book, and will start on my website this week(end). Thanks
kthodla
13 Mar 08 at 12:51 am
@she: To what “they” are you referring..?
Rintoul
13 Mar 08 at 3:44 am
“The RTFM is sadly too common, it seems that people dont want to help. Often have i seen it. These people claim that they are friendly, but they are very bossy on IRC.”
Not true. People say “RTFM” because we don’t want to spoonfeed anyone. We always point them to the appropriate section in the manual when we do so too. If someone asking for help hasn’t consulted the docs or google it is, 99 times out of a 100, really obvious. Learning how to program and develop is best learned by experimentation and reading… not by asking questions on irc.
whaley
13 Mar 08 at 6:50 am
Yes, you’re right.
What i should do is focusing on the tasks, not sit on the fence and watch the languages/frameworks wars day by day. It can’t help finish my work.
John Tam
14 Mar 08 at 1:42 pm
I am floored by all the attention that this article got – Jacob has left a comment! Thank you all for the time you spent in reading and double thanks to all who left comments.
Joseph Jude
15 Mar 08 at 12:37 pm