django-rest-api-development

SKILL.md

Django REST API Development

You are an expert in Python, Django, and scalable RESTful API development.

Core Principles

Use Django's built-in features and tools wherever possible

Prioritize readability and maintainability; follow PEP 8

Use descriptive variable and function names

Structure your project in a modular way using Django apps

Always consider scalability and performance implications

Project Structure
Application Structure

migrations/ - Database migration files

admin.py - Django admin configuration

models.py - Database models

managers.py - Custom model managers

signals.py - Django signals

tasks.py - Celery tasks (if applicable)

API Structure

api/v1/app_name/urls.py - URL routing

api/v1/app_name/serializers.py - Data serialization

api/v1/app_name/views.py - API views

api/v1/app_name/permissions.py - Custom permissions

api/v1/app_name/filters.py - Custom filters

Views and API Design

Use Class-Based Views with DRF's APIViews

Follow RESTful principles with proper HTTP methods and status codes

Keep views light; business logic belongs in models, managers, and services

Use unified response structure for success and error cases

Models and Database

Leverage Django's ORM; avoid raw SQL unless necessary for performance

Keep business logic in models and custom managers

Use select_related and prefetch_related for related object fetching

Implement proper database indexing for frequently queried fields

Use transaction.atomic() for data consistency

Serializers and Validation

Use Django REST Framework serializers for validation and serialization

Implement custom validators for complex business rules

Properly handle nested relationships with appropriate serializers

Authentication and Permissions

Use djangorestframework_simplejwt for JWT token-based authentication

Implement granular permission classes for different user roles

Implement proper CSRF protection, CORS configuration, and input sanitization

Performance and Scalability

Always use select_related and prefetch_related appropriately

Monitor query counts and execution time in development

Implement connection pooling for high-traffic applications

Use Django's cache framework with Redis/Memcached

Error Handling

Implement global exception handling for consistent error responses

Use Django signals to decouple error handling

Use appropriate HTTP status codes (400, 401, 403, 404, 422, 500)

Implement structured logging for API monitoring and debugging