How to use Django's built-in template tags for static files

Django provides built-in template tags to handle static files like stylesheets, JavaScript files, images, etc. The {% load static %} tag is used to load the static template tags in your Django template. Here's a basic guide on how to use Django's built-in template tags for static files:

1. Load the static template tags:

   At the top of your HTML file, include the following line to load the static template tags:

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   {% load static %}
   

2. Reference static files:

   Use the {% static %} template tag to generate the URL for a static file. For example, to reference a stylesheet located in your static/css directory:

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   <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="{% static 'css/style.css' %}">
   

   This tag will generate the correct URL based on your STATICFILES_DIRS and STATIC_URL settings.

3. Using static files in templates:

   For including images or other static files directly in the template, you can use the {% static %} tag within the src or href attributes:

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   <img src="{% static 'images/logo.png' %}" alt="Logo">
   

4. Configuration in settings.py:

   Make sure your settings.py file is properly configured with relevant static settings. Here is a minimal example:

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   # settings.py
   
   # Static files (CSS, JavaScript, images)
   STATIC_URL = '/static/'
   STATICFILES_DIRS = [os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'static')]
   

   Ensure that the django.contrib.staticfiles app is included in your INSTALLED_APPS.

5. Collect static files:

   During development, Django automatically serves static files. However, in production, you need to collect static files to a designated directory using the following management command:

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   python manage.py collectstatic
   

   This will gather all static files from your apps and place them in the directory specified by the STATIC_ROOT setting.

6. Loading static files in templates:

   Ensure that your templates are loaded correctly in your views. For example, in your views, you might use:

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   from django.shortcuts import render
   
   def my_view(request):
       return render(request, 'my_template.html')
   

   Make sure that the 'APP_DIRS' option is set to True in the TEMPLATES setting in your settings.py file so that Django can look for templates in your apps.

By following these steps, you should be able to effectively use Django's built-in template tags for handling static files in your web applications.