🛠️ Day 6: Django Forms – Beginner’s Web Dev Series

Yesterday, we learned how to create models and display them using views and templates. Today, you’ll learn how to let users input data into your project — using Django Forms.

Forms may look like regular HTML input fields on the surface, but Django gives you a powerful Pythonic way to define, validate, and manage them.

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📍What You’ll Learn

• What Django Forms are and why they matter

• forms.Form vs forms.ModelForm

• Handling form submission and validation

• Rendering forms in templates

• Using CSRF tokens and protecting your data

• Building your first dynamic form

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What Are Forms in Django?

A form is Django’s way of collecting input from users — cleanly and safely.

You can create a form in two ways:

• forms.Form – When you want to define each field manually

• forms.ModelForm – When you want to generate the form directly from a model

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Create a Basic Form – forms.Form

# forms.py
from django import forms

class ContactForm(forms.Form):
    name = forms.CharField(max_length=100)
    email = forms.EmailField()
    message = forms.CharField(widget=forms.Textarea)

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Handle the Form in Views

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

def contact_view(request):
    form = ContactForm(request.POST or None)
    if form.is_valid():
        # process form.cleaned_data
        print(form.cleaned_data)
        return render(request, 'thank_you.html')
    return render(request, 'contact.html', {'form': form})

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Use the Form in a Template

<!-- templates/contact.html -->
<h1>Contact Us</h1>
<form method="POST">
  {% csrf_token %}
  {{ form.as_p }}
  <button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>

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CSRF Token – Your First Security Layer

Django protects every POST form using a CSRF token. Just include {% csrf_token %} in your form.

Without it, Django will block the request with a 403 error.

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Using ModelForm – Quicker Way with Models

# models.py
class Feedback(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    feedback = models.TextField()

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

class FeedbackForm(forms.ModelForm):
    class Meta:
        model = Feedback
        fields = ['name', 'feedback']

# views.py
def feedback_view(request):
    form = FeedbackForm(request.POST or None)
    if form.is_valid():
        form.save()
        return render(request, 'thank_you.html')
    return render(request, 'feedback.html', {'form': form})

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🎨 Styling Forms with Widgets

class StyledForm(forms.Form):
    name = forms.CharField(widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={
        'class': 'form-control',
        'placeholder': 'Your name'
    }))

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✅ Task for Day 6

Create a Contact Form with:

• Name, email, and message fields

• Submit button

• A thank-you page after submission

• Add a new model called Feedback

• Use ModelForm to save it

• Show success message using messages.success

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🚀 What’s Next?

Tomorrow, on Day 7, we will:

• Django default authentication

• Protected views

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