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How to Integrate Next.js with Django: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction#

By combining Next.js and Django, you can take use of both frameworks' strengths: Next.js provides a quick, server-rendered frontend, while Django offers a stable backend. In this tutorial, we'll create a basic book review application in which Next.js retrieves and presents book data that Django delivers over an API.

After completing this tutorial, you will have a functional setup in which Next.js renders dynamic book reviews by using Django's API.

Integrate Next.js with Django
---

Why Use Next.js with Django?#

✅ Fast Rendering: Next.js supports SSR (Server-Side Rendering) and SSG (Static Site Generation), improving performance.

✅ Separation of Concerns: Business logic is handled by Django, and UI rendering is done by Next.js.

✅ Scalability: Since each technology can grow on its own, future improvements will be simpler.


Step 1: Setting Up Django as the Backend#

1. Install Django and Django REST Framework#

Create a virtual environment and install dependencies:

# Create and activate a virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate # macOS/Linux
venv\Scripts\activate # Windows
# Install Django and DRF
pip install django djangorestframework

2. Create a Django Project and App#

django-admin startproject book_api
cd book_api
django-admin startapp reviews

3. Configure Django REST Framework#

In settings.py, add REST framework and the reviews app:

INSTALLED_APPS = [
'django.contrib.admin',
'django.contrib.auth',
'django.contrib.contenttypes',
'django.contrib.sessions',
'django.contrib.messages',
'django.contrib.staticfiles',
'rest_framework',
'reviews',
]

4. Define the Book Review Model#

In reviews/models.py:

from django.db import models
class BookReview(models.Model):
title = models.CharField(max_length=200)
author = models.CharField(max_length=100)
review = models.TextField()
rating = models.IntegerField()
def __str__(self):
return self.title

Run migrations:

python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate

5. Create a Serializer and API View#

In reviews/serializers.py:

from rest_framework import serializers
from .models import BookReview
class BookReviewSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
class Meta:
model = BookReview
fields = '__all__'

In reviews/views.py:

from rest_framework.generics import ListAPIView
from .models import BookReview
from .serializers import BookReviewSerializer
class BookReviewListView(ListAPIView):
queryset = BookReview.objects.all()
serializer_class = BookReviewSerializer

Add a URL route in reviews/urls.py:

from django.urls import path
from .views import BookReviewListView
urlpatterns = [
path('reviews/', BookReviewListView.as_view(), name='book-reviews'),
]

Include this in book_api/urls.py:

from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path, include
urlpatterns = [
path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
path('api/', include('reviews.urls')),
]

Run the server:

python manage.py runserver

You can now access book reviews at http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/reviews/.


Step 2: Setting Up Next.js as the Frontend#

1. Install Next.js#

In a new terminal, create a Next.js app:

npx create-next-app@latest book-review-frontend
cd book-review-frontend
npm install

2. Fetch Data from Django API#

Modify pages/index.js to fetch book reviews:

import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
export default function Home() {
const [reviews, setReviews] = useState([]);
useEffect(() => {
fetch("http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/reviews/")
.then(response => response.json())
.then(data => setReviews(data));
}, []);
return (
<div>
<h1>Book Reviews</h1>
<ul>
{reviews.map(review => (
<li key={review.id}>
<h2>{review.title} by {review.author}</h2>
<p>{review.review}</p>
<strong>Rating: {review.rating}/5</strong>
</li>
))}
</ul>
</div>
);
}

3. Start the Next.js Server#

Run:

npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000/ to see book reviews fetched from Django!


Step 3: Connecting Frontend and Backend#

Since Django and Next.js run on different ports (8000 and 3000), we need to handle CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing).

1. Install Django CORS Headers#

In Django, install CORS middleware:

pip install django-cors-headers

Add it to settings.py:

INSTALLED_APPS += ['corsheaders']
MIDDLEWARE.insert(1, 'corsheaders.middleware.CorsMiddleware')
CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS = [
"http://localhost:3000",
]

Restart Django:

python manage.py runserver

Now, Next.js can fetch data without CORS issues!


Conclusion#

You've created a book review app by successfully integrating Next.js with Django. What we did was as follows:

  1. Use the Django REST Framework to install Django.
  2. To offer book reviews, an API was developed.
  3. Created a frontend using Next.js to show reviews.
  4. Set up CORS to allow front-end and back-end communication.

This setup provides a solid foundation for full-stack development. You can now extend it with Django Authentication, a database, or advanced UI components!

Looking to deploy your full-stack application seamlessly? Check out Nife.io a powerful platform for serverless deployment, scaling, and cloud cost optimization! 🚀


Further Reading#

How to Run Django as a Windows Service with Waitress and PyWin32

Setting up a Django project to run as a Windows service can help ensure that your application stays online and automatically restarts after system reboots. This guide walks you through setting up Django as a Windows service using Waitress (a production-ready WSGI server) and PyWin32 for managing the service. We'll also cover common problems, like making sure the service starts and stops correctly.

django

The Plan#

We'll be doing the following:

  1. Set up Django to run as a Windows service using PyWin32.
  2. Use Waitress to serve the Django application.
  3. Handle service start/stop gracefully.
  4. Troubleshoot common issues that can pop up.

Step 1: Install What You Need#

You'll need to install Django, Waitress, and PyWin32. Run these commands to install the necessary packages:

pip install django waitress pywin32

After installing PyWin32, run the following command to finish the installation:

python -m pywin32_postinstall

This step ensures the necessary Windows files for PyWin32 are in place.


Step 2: Write the Python Service Script#

To create the Windows service, we’ll write a Python script that sets up the service and runs the Django app through Waitress.

Create a file named django_service.py in your Django project directory (where manage.py is located), and paste the following code:

import os
import sys
import win32service
import win32serviceutil
import win32event
from waitress import serve
from django.core.wsgi import get_wsgi_application
import logging
# Set up logging for debugging
logging.basicConfig(
filename='C:\\path\\to\\logs\\django_service.log',
level=logging.DEBUG,
format='%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s'
)
class DjangoService(win32serviceutil.ServiceFramework):
_svc_name_ = "DjangoWebService"
_svc_display_name_ = "Django Web Service"
_svc_description_ = "A Windows service running a Django web server using Waitress."
def __init__(self, args):
win32serviceutil.ServiceFramework.__init__(self, args)
self.hWaitStop = win32event.CreateEvent(None, 0, 0, None)
self.running = True
logging.info("Initializing Django service...")
try:
os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', 'your_project_name.settings')
self.application = get_wsgi_application()
except Exception as e:
logging.error(f"Error initializing WSGI application: {e}")
def SvcStop(self):
self.ReportServiceStatus(win32service.SERVICE_STOP_PENDING)
win32event.SetEvent(self.hWaitStop)
self.running = False
logging.info("Stopping Django service...")
def SvcDoRun(self):
logging.info("Service is running...")
serve(self.application, host='0.0.0.0', port=8000)
if __name__ == '__main__':
win32serviceutil.HandleCommandLine(DjangoService)
What’s Happening in the Script:#
  • Logging: We set up logging to help debug issues. All logs go to django_service.log.
  • WSGI Application: Django’s get_wsgi_application() is used to initialize the app.
  • Waitress: We serve Django using Waitress, which is a good production-ready server.
  • Service Methods:
    • SvcStop(): Handles stopping the service gracefully.
    • SvcDoRun(): Runs the Waitress server.

Step 3: Install the Service#

Once the script is ready, you need to install it as a Windows service. Run this command in the directory where your django_service.py is located:

python django_service.py install

This registers your Django application as a Windows service.

Note:#

Make sure to run this command as an administrator. Services need elevated privileges to install properly.


Step 4: Start the Service#

Now that the service is installed, you can start it by running:

python django_service.py start

Alternatively, you can go to the Windows Services panel (services.msc), find "Django Web Service," and start it from there.


Step 5: Troubleshooting Common Errors#

Error 1066: Service-Specific Error#

This error usually happens when something crashes during the service startup. To fix it:

  • Check Logs: Look at django_service.log for any errors.
  • Check Django Config: Make sure that DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE is set correctly.
Error 1053: Service Did Not Respond in Time#

This happens when the service takes too long to start. You can try:

  • Optimizing Django Startup: Check if your app takes too long to start (e.g., database connections).
  • Check Waitress Config: Ensure that the server is set up properly.
Logs Not Generated#

If logs aren’t showing up:

  • Ensure the directory C:\\path\\to\\logs exists.
  • Make sure the service has permission to write to that directory.
  • Double-check that logging is set up before the service starts.

Step 6: Stopping the Service Gracefully#

Stopping services cleanly is essential to avoid crashes or stuck processes. In the SvcStop method, we signal the server to stop by setting self.running = False.

If this still doesn’t stop the service cleanly, you can add os._exit(0) to force an exit, but this should be a last resort. Try to allow the application to shut down properly if possible.


Step 7: Configuring Allowed Hosts in Django#

Before you go live, ensure that the ALLOWED_HOSTS setting in settings.py is configured properly. It should include the domain or IP of your server:

ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['localhost', '127.0.0.1', 'your-domain.com']

This ensures Django only accepts requests from specified hosts, which is crucial for security.


Step 8: Package it with PyInstaller (Optional)#

If you want to package everything into a single executable, you can use PyInstaller. Here’s how:

First, install PyInstaller:

pip install pyinstaller

Then, create the executable:

pyinstaller --onefile django_service.py

This will create a standalone executable in the dist folder that you can deploy to other Windows machines.


Conclusion#

By following this guide, you’ve successfully set up Django to run as a Windows service using Waitress and PyWin32. You’ve also learned how to:

  1. Install and run the service.
  2. Debug common service-related errors.
  3. Ensure a clean shutdown for the service.
  4. Configure Django’s ALLOWED_HOSTS for production.

With this setup, your Django app will run efficiently as a background service, ensuring it stays available even after reboots.

For more information on the topics covered in this blog, check out these resources: