1 · Structure and rendering · 30 MIN

Django URL patterns and views

A view turns a routed request into a response.

Django matches URL patterns in order and passes captured values to the selected view. JsonResponse serializes a Python value into a JSON response; safe=False permits a top-level list for this public catalog. A method restriction makes the read-only contract explicit. Keep URL routing separate from business calculations so the latter can be tested as ordinary functions. This first lesson uses static public data; authentication and ownership become necessary when a route exposes personal records.

Register the app and URL configuration in the project.

Read the example

# courses/views.py
from django.http import JsonResponse
from django.views.decorators.http import require_GET
@require_GET
def catalog(request):
    return JsonResponse([{"id": "react", "title": "React foundations"}], safe=False)
# learning/urls.py (separate file)
from django.urls import path
from courses.views import catalog
urlpatterns = [path("courses/", catalog)]

GET /courses/ returns one public course; POST to the same view is rejected with 405.

Your challenge

Add a detail route using a string slug and return a JSON 404 when the course is unknown.

Solution cost: O(r) route matching in a small ordered route set. time · O(1) fixed example payload. space

Common trap

A route parameter identifies a candidate record; it does not authorize access.

# courses/views.py
from django.http import JsonResponse
from django.views.decorators.http import require_GET
@require_GET
def catalog(request):
    return JsonResponse([{"id": "react", "title": "React foundations"}], safe=False)
# learning/urls.py (separate file)
from django.urls import path
from courses.views import catalog
urlpatterns = [path("courses/", catalog)]

Further reading: Official documentation