Setting and getting session data in Django - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Setting and Getting Session Data in Django

📖 Scenario: You are building a simple Django web app that tracks a user's favorite color during their visit. You want to store this color in the session so it remembers the choice as the user navigates pages.

🎯 Goal: Build a Django view that sets a session variable called favorite_color to a specific value, and another view that reads and displays this session value.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a Django view function called set_color that sets request.session['favorite_color'] to the string 'blue'.

Create a Django view function called get_color that reads request.session['favorite_color'] and returns it in an HttpResponse.

Use the Django HttpResponse class to return simple text responses.

Ensure the session data is properly set and retrieved using Django's session framework.

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Web apps often need to remember user preferences or temporary data during a visit. Sessions let you store this data securely on the server side.

💼 Career

Understanding session management is essential for backend web developers working with Django or similar frameworks to maintain user state and preferences.

1

Create the set_color view to set session data

Write a Django view function called set_color that takes request as a parameter and sets request.session['favorite_color'] to the string 'blue'. Return an HttpResponse with the text 'Color set to blue'.

Django

from django.http import HttpResponse

def set_color(request):
    # Your code here

Need a hint?

Use request.session['favorite_color'] = 'blue' to store the color in the session.

2

Create the get_color view to read session data

Add a Django view function called get_color that takes request as a parameter and reads the session value request.session['favorite_color']. Return an HttpResponse with the text 'Favorite color is: ' followed by the session value.

Django

from django.http import HttpResponse

def set_color(request):
    request.session['favorite_color'] = 'blue'
    return HttpResponse('Color set to blue')

def get_color(request):
    # Your code here

Need a hint?

Use color = request.session['favorite_color'] to get the stored color.

3

Add a check for missing session data in get_color

Modify the get_color view to use request.session.get('favorite_color', 'not set') to safely get the session value or return 'not set' if it does not exist. Return an HttpResponse with the text 'Favorite color is: ' followed by this value.

Django

from django.http import HttpResponse

def set_color(request):
    request.session['favorite_color'] = 'blue'
    return HttpResponse('Color set to blue')

def get_color(request):
    # Your code here

Need a hint?

Use request.session.get('favorite_color', 'not set') to avoid errors if the session key is missing.

4

Add URL patterns for the views

Create a Django urlpatterns list with two path entries: one for set_color at URL 'set/' and one for get_color at URL 'get/'. Import path from django.urls and import the two view functions.

Django

from django.http import HttpResponse
from django.urls import path

# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use path('set/', set_color) and path('get/', get_color) inside urlpatterns.