› Forums › Web Development › HarvardX: CS50W – CS50’s Web Programming with Python and JavaScript › CS50W – Lecture 3 – Django › What Do These Django Import Lines Mean?
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April 24, 2026 at 12:02 pm #6453
What Do These Django Import Lines Mean
Many beginners see this code in
urls.py:from django.contrib import admin from django.urls import include, pathand wonder:
What exactly is being imported here?
These lines bring in important Django tools used for website routing.
1.
admin= Django’s Built-In Control Panelfrom django.contrib import adminThis imports Django’s ready-made admin system.
It is commonly connected like this:
path("admin/", admin.site.urls)That usually creates:
/admin/where website owners can:
- manage users
- add or edit data
- view database records
- control site content
So
admingives access to Django’s management dashboard.
2.
path= Create URL Routesfrom django.urls import pathpath()is used to match a URL with a view.Example:
path("about/", views.about)Meaning:
If someone visits:
/about/run the
aboutview.So
path()is how Django creates roads between URLs and Python functions.
3.
include= Hand Routing to Another Appfrom django.urls import includeinclude()tells Django:Go check another
urls.pyfile for more routes.Example:
path("", include("encyclopedia.urls"))Meaning:
Homepage traffic should continue inside:
encyclopedia/urls.pyThis helps organize large projects into smaller apps.
Why Django Uses This Structure
Without these imports:
- No admin dashboard route
- No custom URL paths
- No separate app routing
These tools are essential for navigation.
Simple Analogy
Think of a city:
path()= build a roadinclude()= send traffic to another districtadmin= city control center
Final Insight
These import lines may look small, but they load the core tools Django uses to organize and route an entire website.
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