= How to use django with mod_wsgi =

This is a very simple recipe to deploy a django application with mod_wsgi. This procedure has been tested on Windows but should work on any operating system supported by apache, mod_wsgi, and django.

== Installation ==

mod_wsgi can be downloaded from there: http://code.google.com/p/modwsgi/. There is an excellent procedure for installing it on windows there: http://code.google.com/p/modwsgi/wiki/InstallationOnWindows. [[BR]]
On that page you will find a link to precompiled windows binaries.

== Configuration of Apache and mod_wsgi  ==

In this section I will take you trough an example, the django application is called dj_survey. This application is part of a project called "dj_project".

The {{{urls.py}}} I used to serve the application with the Django built-in development server:
{{{
#!python
from django.conf.urls.defaults import *
from django.contrib import databrowse
import registration 


urlpatterns = patterns('',
    # Example:
    # (r'^dj_project/', include('dj_project.foo.urls')),

    # Uncomment this for admin:
    (r'^admin/', include('django.contrib.admin.urls')),
    (r'^dj_survey/', include('dj_project.dj_survey.urls')),
    (r'^databrowse/(.*)', databrowse.site.root),
    (r'^accounts/', include('registration.urls')),
    (r'^yui/(?P<path>.*)$', 'django.views.static.serve', {'document_root': '../../svn_views/yui/build','show_indexes': True}),
    (r'^site_media/(?P<path>.*)$', 'django.views.static.serve',{'document_root': './media','show_indexes': True}),
)
}}}

In {{{httpd.conf}}} you should load the mod_wsgi and include the file containing the configuration of your django application. The trap there is all the path should use "/" and not "\".

=== httpd.conf ===
{{{
#This should be included somewhere at the top of this file
LoadModule wsgi_module modules/mod_wsgi.so

#somewhere at the bottom
Include "<PATH TO YOUR DJANGO PROJECT>/apache/apache_django_wsgi.conf"
}}}

This suppose that you have created a folder named {{{apache}}} in your django project in this folder your should add the following files:

{{{
08/16/2007  04:12 PM             1,082 apache_django_wsgi.conf
08/16/2007  04:31 PM               557 dj_survey.wsgi
08/16/2007  04:31 PM             4,362 settings_production.py
08/16/2007  04:09 PM               712 urls_production.py
08/16/2007  04:33 PM                 0 __init__.py
}}}

__Note__: There is a file called {{{__init__.py}}} in {{{<PATH TO YOUR DJANGO PROJECT>/apache}}}. In this case {{{<PATH TO YOUR DJANGO PROJECT>}}} is equal to {{{c:\<LONG PATH>\workspace\dj_project}}}

Like in the {{{httpd.conf}}} you should pay attention to the separator. You should use "/" and not "\"

=== apache_django_wsgi.conf ===
{{{
Alias /site_media/ "<PATH TO YOUR DJANGO PROJECT>/media/"
<Directory "<PATH TO YOUR DJANGO PROJECT>/">
Order allow,deny
Options Indexes
Allow from all
IndexOptions FancyIndexing
</Directory>

Alias /yui/ "<PATH TO YOUR YUI>/build/"
<Directory "<PATH TO YOUR YUI>/build">
Order allow,deny
Options Indexes
Allow from all
IndexOptions FancyIndexing
</Directory>

Alias /media/ "<PATH TO YOUR DJANGO SRC>/trunk/django/contrib/admin/media/"
<Directory "<PATH TO YOUR DJANGO SRC>/trunk/django/contrib/admin/media">
Order allow,deny
Options Indexes
Allow from all
IndexOptions FancyIndexing
</Directory>


WSGIScriptAlias / "<PATH TO YOUR DJANGO PROJECT>/apache/dj_survey.wsgi"

<Directory "<PATH TO YOUR DJANGO PROJECT>/apache">
Allow from all
</Directory>
}}}

Now here it is the core of the wsgi application. The path there should use "\\"as separator.

=== dj_survey.wsgi ===
{{{
#!python
import os, sys

#Calculate the path based on the location of the WSGI script.
apache_configuration= os.path.dirname(__file__)
project = os.path.dirname(apache_configuration)
workspace = os.path.dirname(project)
sys.path.append(workspace) 

#Add the path to 3rd party django application and to django itself.
sys.path.append('C:\\yml\\_myScript_\\dj_things\\web_development\\svn_views\\django_src\\trunk')
sys.path.append('C:\\yml\\_myScript_\\dj_things\\web_development\\svn_views\\django-registration')

os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = 'dj_project.apache.settings_production'
import django.core.handlers.wsgi
application = django.core.handlers.wsgi.WSGIHandler()
}}}

__Note__: If you need to write something in {{{error.log}}} located in the following folder {{{<Your Apache Installation>\Apache2.2\logs}}} you can insert the line below in your WSGI file. In our example this file is called {{{dj_survey.wsgi}}}. This method is very convenient to get the PYTHONPATH correct:
{{{
#!python
print >> sys.stderr, sys.path 
}}}

In this file you are defining the settings that will be used by your Django application, in our example this file is called: {{{dj_project.apache.settings_production}}} (__Note__: ".py" is implicit and should not be added).
There is nothing special in that file except that  I am pointing to a special {{{urls.py}}} which reflect the configuration I am using in production.

{{{
#!python
ROOT_URLCONF = 'dj_project.apache.urls_production'
}}}

=== urls_production.py ===
{{{
#!python
from django.conf.urls.defaults import *
from django.contrib import databrowse
import registration 


urlpatterns = patterns('',
    # Example:
    # (r'^dj_project/', include('dj_project.foo.urls')),

    # Uncomment this for admin:
    (r'^admin/', include('django.contrib.admin.urls')),
    (r'^dj_survey/', include('dj_project.dj_survey.urls')),
    (r'^databrowse/(.*)', databrowse.site.root),
    (r'^accounts/', include('registration.urls')),
)
}}}

== Test ==
Restart apache and now you should be able enjoy your application serve by Apache and mod_wsgi.

== References ==

 * http://code.google.com/p/modwsgi/
 * http://code.google.com/p/modwsgi/wiki/IntegrationWithDjango