Python

Virtual environments & Django shortcuts

Python development is better with proper environment isolation. These tools make it painless.

Virtual Environments

venv — Create & Activate

Create and activate a virtual environment in one command:

venv              # Creates ./venv and activates it
venv myenv        # Creates ./myenv and activates it

No more separate python -m venv and source activate steps.

va — Auto-Activate

Smart virtualenv activation that searches up the directory tree:

va
# Searches for: venv/, .venv/, env/, .env/
# Activates the first one found
# Checks parent directories too

Perfect for jumping into projects. No need to remember where the venv is.

vd — Deactivate

Exit the current virtualenv:

vd
# Simple alias for deactivate

Django Utilities

Quick shortcuts for Django development. All require being in a Django project.

Development Server

drs         # python manage.py runserver (port 8000)
drs 3000    # python manage.py runserver 3000

Shell

dsh
# Uses shell_plus if django-extensions is installed
# Falls back to regular Django shell

shell_plus auto-imports all models. Install it: pip install django-extensions

Migrations

dmm         # python manage.py makemigrations
dm          # python manage.py migrate

The two most-used Django commands, now 3 keystrokes each.

Admin

dsu         # python manage.py createsuperuser

Create admin users quickly.

Tests

dt              # Run all tests
dt myapp        # Run specific app's tests
dt myapp.tests.test_views  # Specific test module

Code Quality

Formatting

black .           # Format all Python files with Black
isort .           # Sort imports

Or use a combined workflow (see below).

Linting

flake .           # Run flake8 on current directory

Catches style issues and potential bugs.

Testing

pytest

pt              # Run pytest (verbose, short traceback)
ptd             # Run with debug logging enabled

pytest is better than unittest. Fight me.

Workflows

New Django Project

# Create project directory
mkdir myproject && cd myproject

# Create and activate venv
venv

# Install Django
pip install django

# Start project
django-admin startproject config .

# Run dev server
drs

Existing Project

# Enter project
cd ~/projects/django-app

# Auto-activate venv
va

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run migrations (if needed)
dm

# Start server
drs

Before Commit

# Format code
black .
isort .

# Lint
flake .

# Run tests
pt

# If all green, commit
gig

Django Development Loop

# Make model changes
vim myapp/models.py

# Create migrations
dmm

# Apply migrations
dm

# Test in shell
dsh
# >>> from myapp.models import MyModel
# >>> MyModel.objects.all()

# Run tests
dt myapp

# Start server
drs

Managing Dependencies

# Activate venv
va

# Install new package
pip install requests

# Freeze dependencies
pip freeze > requirements.txt

# Or use pip-tools for better management:
pip install pip-tools
pip-compile requirements.in
pip-sync requirements.txt

Pro Tips

Always use virtualenvs: Never install packages globally (except pip, virtualenv itself). venv makes it trivial.

Use .env for secrets: Store database passwords, API keys in .env files. Load with python-dotenv.

Format before committing: Black is opinionated. Just accept it and run black . before every commit.

django-extensions is essential: Get shell_plus, runserver_plus, and other useful management commands. pip install django-extensions

pytest > unittest: More concise, better fixtures, better plugins. Install with pip install pytest pytest-django.

Use requirements.in: Keep high-level deps in requirements.in, generate requirements.txt with pip-compile. Lock exact versions.

Virtual environment in project: Use venv or .venv as the directory name. Editors auto-detect these.

Activate on cd: Consider adding auto-activation to your shell config (check if in git repo, look for venv, activate). The va command is a manual version of this.