Before starting with DRF basics, why do we use DRF while we can instead use Django’s JsonResponse like that:
from django.http import JsonResponse
return JsonResponse({'foo':'bar'})
So why do we use it, and why am I obsessed with it?
While raw Django can be used to create APIs, DRF offers a suite of tools and features that make the process much more efficient and maintainable.
Serializers: One of the primary reasons I prefer DRF is because of its powerful serializers. Serializers allow you to easily convert complex data types, such as querysets and model instances, into native Python datatypes that can then be rendered into JSON, XML, or other content types. They also handle deserialization, which means they can validate and convert parsed data back into complex types, making it easy to handle input data and ensure it’s valid.
APIView and Generics: DRF provides a set of views that make it easy to create API endpoints. The APIView class provides a base for all views, handling various HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. Additionally, generic views abstract common patterns in API views, reducing boilerplate code. For instance, ListCreateAPIView or RetrieveUpdateDestroyAPIView allows you to quickly implement CRUD operations.
ViewSets and Routers: DRF’s viewsets combine the logic for a set of related views into a single class, making your code more modular and easier to manage. Routers automatically create URL configurations for your API, reducing the amount of code you need to write.
Authentication and Permissions: DRF provides a robust authentication system that includes support for various authentication methods (e.g., token-based, OAuth). It also offers a comprehensive permissions framework, making it straightforward to implement fine-grained access control for your API endpoints.
Browsable API: One of the unique features of DRF is the browsable API, which provides a web-based interface to interact with your API. This is particularly useful during development and debugging as it allows you to test your endpoints directly from the browser.
Throttling and Rate Limiting: DRF includes built-in support for throttling and rate limiting, helping you to manage API usage and protect your application from abuse or overuse.
Documentation: DRF supports automatic API documentation generation, making it easier to maintain up-to-date documentation and ensuring that developers using your API have the information they need.
The combination of serializers, viewsets, routers, and built-in support for authentication, permissions, and documentation, among other features, makes DRF an excellent choice for building secure and scalable APIs.