Bugs are a time consuming burden during software development. Django's built-in test framework and debugging support help lessen this burden. This book will teach you quick and efficient techniques for using Django and Python tools to eradicate bugs and ensure your Django application works correctly.

This book will walk you step by step through development of a complete sample Django application. You will learn how best to test and debug models, views, URL configuration, templates, and template tags. This book will help you integrate with and make use of the rich external environment of test and debugging tools for Python and Django applications.

The book starts with a basic overview of testing. It will highlight areas to look out for while testing. You will learn about different kinds of tests available, and the pros and cons of each, and also details of test extensions provided by Django that simplify the task of testing Django applications. You will see an illustration of how external tools that provide even more sophisticated testing features can be integrated into Django's framework.

On the debugging front, the book illustrates how to interpret the extensive debugging information provided by Django's debug error pages, and how to utilize logging and other external tools to learn what code is doing.

What you will learn from this book

• Build a complete application in manageable pieces that can be written, tested, and debugged individually.
• Come to grips with the nuances of testing and the pros and cons of each type of test.
• Simplify the task of testing web applications by using specific test extensions provided by Django.
• Integrate other test tools into Django's framework to obtain test coverage information and more easily test forms.
• Analyze the copious debug information provided by Django's debug error pages.
• Write your own add-on debugging aids.
• Easily acquire enormous and important information with the help of external tools such as the Django debug toolbar.
• Decipher code behavior by using logging and effectively debug problems in production, when debug error pages are not available.
• Learn what your code and other library support code actually does by skilled use of a debugger.
• Tackle problems external to your code with available fixes.
• Debug common problems that arise during the move from development to production.

Approach
This book teaches by example. It walks in detail through development of a sample application, illustrating each step via complete working code and either screenshots or console snippets. The cumbersome and time consuming task of debugging will be a cake walk with this book.

Who this book is written for
If you are a Django application developer who wants to create robust applications quickly that work well and are easy to maintain in the long term, this book is for you. This book is the right pick if you want to be smartly tutored to make best use of Django's rich testing and debugging support and make testing an effortless task.

Basic knowledge of Python, Django, and the overall structure of a database-driven web application is assumed. However, the code samples are fully explained so that even beginners who are new to the area can learn a great deal from this book.