Django project setup

• Setup a Django project using manage.py startproject or other means

• Install django-govuk-template (along with desired extras) and add govuk_template_base to INSTALLED_APPS

• Call manage.py startgovukapp [[app name, e.g. govuk_template]]

  • Add this app to INSTALLED_APPS

  • Ensure that this app is included in source control as the intention is that it’s only rebuilt as needed

  • If an update is needed in the future, delete the app created in previous step and run this command again

• Add govuk_template_base.context_processors.govuk_template_base to the template context processors

• Use [[app name, e.g. govuk_template]].html as the template to extend from and overrive the inner_content block

See the demo folder in this repository on GitHub, it is not included in distributions.

Another demo [1] shows the process of converting the Django tutorial polls app – see the commit history.

Service settings

The service’s title, phase and header/footer links can be configured through service settings objects.

Typically, these are stored in the ServiceSettings model and initial configuration could be a data migration or a fixture. However if the GOVUK_SERVICE_SETTINGS setting is defined, it will take precedence. This is useful in cases where no database is set up.

GOVUK_SERVICE_SETTINGS = {
    'name': 'Service name',
    'phase': 'beta',
    'header_link_view_name': 'service_app:home',
    'header_links': [
        {'name': 'Home', 'link': 'service_app:home', 'link_is_view_name': True},
    ],
}

Service settings stored in models allow for localisation into different languages. Set localise_name to True and provide translations in your project’s localised messages.