For a web developer that's used to using Python frameworks like Django or Flask, getting into the world of frontend web development using modern JavaScript isn't always easy. For instance, there is no immediate solution to making new single-page application (SPA) frameworks work well with Django's rendering architecture, especially if you just want to make something simple. This talk will explore the differences between how Django renders web pages and how these JS frameworks expect you to do it, and how to marry the two approaches without reinventing the wheel (or using a heavy library that makes customization difficult). We will look in detail at a few of these concepts, then walk through a fun demo that shows just how efficient and developer-friendly this pattern can be.
This talk is primarily aimed at beginners to frontend web development who may have been around the block with Django once or twice but are not fully on board with the concepts behind the modern JavaScript stack or with React. Those who come from the world of frontend web development and who are new to Django or Flask may also find this talk interesting.
Jacob Cook is a developer, Python enthusiast and rabble-rouser based in Montréal. His fields of interest include staying on the cutting-edge of Web development practices, building software to help user privacy and exploring technology allowing for the decentralization of the Internet. He is the author of several Python libraries as well as the lead developer behind the arkOS self-hosted server project, which was featured in VentureBeat, Fast Company, Der Spiegel and many other tech media sites. Jacob currently works as a software developer and project manager for Savoir-faire Linux, a consulting firm that brings the power of open source technologies like Python and Django to the world of enterprise and government software applications.