Creating Forms in Django

Django makes it easy to create and manage forms. Forms can be used for tasks like user input, data validation, and interacting with models. In this article, we'll explore how to create and use forms in Django with examples.

1. Introduction to Forms

Django provides a forms module that allows you to create forms easily. Forms can be created manually or by using model forms that are tied to Django models.

2. Creating a Simple Form

To create a simple form, use Django's forms.Form class. Here's an example:

            
    from django import forms

    class ContactForm(forms.Form):
        name = forms.CharField(label='Your Name', max_length=100)
        email = forms.EmailField(label='Your Email')
        message = forms.CharField(label='Message', widget=forms.Textarea)

This form has three fields: name, email, and message. The widget attribute customizes the input field.

3. Rendering the Form in a Template

To display the form on a webpage, pass it to the template from the view:

            
    # views.py
    from django.shortcuts import render
    from .forms import ContactForm

    def contact_view(request):
        form = ContactForm()
        return render(request, 'contact.html', {'form': form})

In the template, render the form like this:

            
    <form method="post" action="">
        {{ form.as_p }}
        <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>

The as_p method wraps each form field in a paragraph tag for basic formatting.

4. Handling Form Submission

Handle form data in the view by checking if the request is POST:

            
    # views.py
    from django.shortcuts import render
    from .forms import ContactForm

    def contact_view(request):
        if request.method == 'POST':
            form = ContactForm(request.POST)
            if form.is_valid():
                # Process the data
                name = form.cleaned_data['name']
                email = form.cleaned_data['email']
                message = form.cleaned_data['message']
                print(f"Name: {name}, Email: {email}, Message: {message}")
                return render(request, 'success.html')
        else:
            form = ContactForm()
        return render(request, 'contact.html', {'form': form})

The is_valid method validates the input, and cleaned_data contains the sanitized data.

5. Using Model Forms

Model forms allow you to create forms directly tied to Django models:

            
    # models.py
    from django.db import models

    class Feedback(models.Model):
        name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
        email = models.EmailField()
        message = models.TextField()

    # forms.py
    from django.forms import ModelForm
    from .models import Feedback

    class FeedbackForm(ModelForm):
        class Meta:
            model = Feedback
            fields = ['name', 'email', 'message']

Model forms automatically handle field validation based on the model definition.

6. Conclusion

In this article, we learned how to create forms in Django using forms.Form and ModelForm. Forms are a powerful feature in Django that make it easy to handle user input and validate data.




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