How does django static exactly work

Question

I have always used PHP and finally decided to get out of that cave and explore other scripting languages like django.

I am still wrapping my head around project structure in django and can't seem to figure out how to include css, js, and other so called static files.

I have read up on the django wiki and I know I am supposed to use static to reference these files. But in order to do so I need to define my static directory in settings.py.

I have noticed that when I call static {% 'filename.extension' %} it appends the file to the static directory defined in settings.py. But if I am understanding this right that is all it does. The issue is then I have some html code that is trying to get a file from localhost:8000/static/directory/filename.extension But since python handles urls differently the html code will not get any file from such url and thus my css won't be loaded.

My settings.py

My file structure:

PassWard >
    PassWard >
        __pycache__ >
        wardvault >
            __pucache__ >
                ... (pycache stuff) ...
            templates >
                imports.html
                menu.html
                wardvault >
                    base.html
                    passwords.html
            migrations >
                ... (migration stuff) ...
            __init__.py
            admin.py
            admin.pyc
            apps.py
            models.py
            models.pyc
            tests.py
            views.py
            views.pyc
        __init__.py

    static >
        font_awesome >
            ... (lots of font related files) ...
        js >
            jquery.min.js
        imports.html
        menu.css
        menu.html
        menu.js
        reset.css
    db.splite3
    manage.py

My settings.py looks like:

"""
Django settings for PassWard project.

Generated by 'django-admin startproject' using Django 1.9.8.

For more information on this file, see
https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.9/topics/settings/

For the full list of settings and their values, see
https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.9/ref/settings/
"""

import os

# Build paths inside the project like this: os.path.join(BASE_DIR, ...)
BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))


# Quick-start development settings - unsuitable for production
# See https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.9/howto/deployment/checklist/

# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
SECRET_KEY = 't+*07vdh&h^c*2ito-9_ywo^mcxps1o$e@^gb$%6vy7m5vr_^3'

# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
DEBUG = True

ALLOWED_HOSTS = []


# Application definition

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'PassWard.wardvault',
]

MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = [
    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.SessionAuthenticationMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
]

ROOT_URLCONF = 'PassWard.urls'

TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
        'DIRS': [],
        'APP_DIRS': True,
        'OPTIONS': {
            'context_processors': [
                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
                'django.template.context_processors.request',
                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
            ],
        },
    },
]

WSGI_APPLICATION = 'PassWard.wsgi.application'


# Database
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.9/ref/settings/#databases

DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
        'NAME': os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'db.sqlite3'),
    }
}


# Password validation
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.9/ref/settings/#auth-password-validators

AUTH_PASSWORD_VALIDATORS = [
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.UserAttributeSimilarityValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.MinimumLengthValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.CommonPasswordValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.NumericPasswordValidator',
    },
]


# Internationalization
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.9/topics/i18n/

LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'

TIME_ZONE = 'UTC'

USE_I18N = True

USE_L10N = True

USE_TZ = True


# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.9/howto/static-files/

STATIC_URL = '/static/'

I am trying to load the static files into passwords.html inside wardvault.

My html snippit that is trying to access static files looks like this:

And the result of {% static '/static/menu.css' %} when I just put it alone is /static/menu.css.

My question is when I use static does it just append what is defined in settings.py to the arguments? If so when the STATIC_URL is set to /static/ does that first slash mean starting from the project root dir or the system root dir? Also i'm I using it correctly? or is there something I am missing?

Feel free to point out bad practices with the structure of the project. I am still trying to wrap my head around everything.

How does django static exactly work

Answers (1)

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