How to set up Inertia Django with Vue or React?

Install inertia-django via pip, add it to Django settings, then use a frontend build tool like Vite with django_vite. The README points to external example repos for specific frameworks, as detailed frontend docs are pending.

Inertia Django vs Django REST Framework for a SPA?

Choose Inertia Django if you want to avoid building a separate API and use Django's server-side routing with modern frontends. Opt for Django REST Framework if you need a decoupled API for multiple clients or more granular endpoint control.

How to handle authentication in Inertia Django?

Use Django's built-in auth system and share user data via the share method in middleware. The adapter automatically handles CSRF tokens, but you must configure Axios or Django settings for compatibility, as explained in the CSRF section.

Can I use TypeScript with Inertia Django?

Yes, since Inertia Django works with frontend frameworks like React, Vue, or Svelte, you can integrate TypeScript on the frontend by configuring your build tool. The backend adapter is Python-based and doesn't restrict frontend language choices.

How to test Inertia views in Django?

Use the provided InertiaTestCase, which includes helper methods like assertComponentUsed and assertHasExactProps. It inherits from Django's TestCase, allowing you to test props, template data, and components easily.

Does Inertia Django support real-time updates with WebSockets?

No, Inertia Django is designed for page-based navigation without full reloads but lacks built-in WebSocket support. For real-time features, you'd need to integrate additional libraries like Django Channels separately, which isn't covered in the adapter.

Django — Django Adapter for Inertia.js

What is Django?

Inertia Django is the official Django adapter for Inertia.js, a framework that lets developers build single-page applications using server-side routing and controllers. It allows Django backends to serve fully reactive frontends built with React, Vue, or Svelte without requiring a separate REST or GraphQL API. The adapter handles data serialization, CSRF protection, and seamless integration between Django and Inertia.js.

Target Audience

Django developers who want to build modern, reactive single-page applications without maintaining a separate API layer or learning a new backend framework. It's ideal for teams familiar with Django's MVC pattern seeking a smoother full-stack development experience.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Inertia Django because it eliminates the complexity of building and maintaining a separate API, leveraging Django's robust backend capabilities while delivering a fast, modern frontend. Its tight integration with Django's ecosystem, including built-in testing utilities and flexible prop serialization, provides a productive and familiar development workflow.

The Django adapter for Inertia.js

Use Cases

Best For

Building SPAs with Django backends without creating REST APIs
Teams familiar with Django wanting a modern frontend stack
Projects requiring server-side rendering for SEO optimization
Applications needing shared server-side data across components
Optimizing performance with deferred or partial prop loading
Testing Inertia-powered views with Django's test framework

Not Ideal For

Projects requiring a decoupled API for multiple clients (e.g., mobile apps alongside web)
Applications needing extensive real-time interactivity without page reloads, like live chat or notifications
Teams preferring strict separation between backend and frontend with standalone REST or GraphQL APIs
Developers heavily reliant on Django's template system for all server-rendered HTML views

Pros & Cons

Pros

Seamless Django Integration

Provides middleware for shared data, automated CSRF handling, and InertiaTestCase for testing, deeply embedding Inertia into Django's workflow without extra boilerplate.

Flexible Prop Serialization

Offers InertiaJsonEncoder for basic model serialization and InertiaMeta classes for custom field control, allowing tailored JSON output for Django models and QuerySets.

Performance Optimizations

Supports optional and deferred props with grouping, partial reloads, and history encryption to reduce initial load times and secure sensitive data in browser history.

Server-Side Rendering

Enables SSR for improved SEO and faster initial renders via configurable settings like INERTIA_SSR_URL, though frontend setup is noted as 'Coming Soon'.

Cons

Incomplete Frontend Documentation

The README admits 'Django specific frontend docs coming soon,' forcing reliance on external examples and the main Inertia.js docs for setup, which can be confusing.

Serialization Limitations

Default InertiaJsonEncoder uses Django's model_to_dict, excluding non-editable fields like auto timestamps, requiring extra work with InertiaMeta for full control.

Complex SSR Setup

Enabling SSR requires installing extra dependencies (e.g., requests) and configuring both backend and frontend, with frontend instructions incomplete, adding to setup complexity.

What is Django?

Target Audience

Value Proposition

Use Cases

Best For

Building SPAs with Django backends without creating REST APIs
Teams familiar with Django wanting a modern frontend stack
Projects requiring server-side rendering for SEO optimization
Applications needing shared server-side data across components
Optimizing performance with deferred or partial prop loading
Testing Inertia-powered views with Django's test framework

Not Ideal For

Projects requiring a decoupled API for multiple clients (e.g., mobile apps alongside web)
Applications needing extensive real-time interactivity without page reloads, like live chat or notifications
Teams preferring strict separation between backend and frontend with standalone REST or GraphQL APIs
Developers heavily reliant on Django's template system for all server-rendered HTML views

Pros & Cons

Pros

Seamless Django Integration

Provides middleware for shared data, automated CSRF handling, and InertiaTestCase for testing, deeply embedding Inertia into Django's workflow without extra boilerplate.

Flexible Prop Serialization

Offers InertiaJsonEncoder for basic model serialization and InertiaMeta classes for custom field control, allowing tailored JSON output for Django models and QuerySets.

Performance Optimizations

Supports optional and deferred props with grouping, partial reloads, and history encryption to reduce initial load times and secure sensitive data in browser history.

Server-Side Rendering

Enables SSR for improved SEO and faster initial renders via configurable settings like INERTIA_SSR_URL, though frontend setup is noted as 'Coming Soon'.

Cons

Incomplete Frontend Documentation

The README admits 'Django specific frontend docs coming soon,' forcing reliance on external examples and the main Inertia.js docs for setup, which can be confusing.

Serialization Limitations

Default InertiaJsonEncoder uses Django's model_to_dict, excluding non-editable fields like auto timestamps, requiring extra work with InertiaMeta for full control.

Complex SSR Setup

Enabling SSR requires installing extra dependencies (e.g., requests) and configuring both backend and frontend, with frontend instructions incomplete, adding to setup complexity.

Django

What is Django?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

Django

What is Django?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?