When starting a new Django project, one of the first things you'll encounter is deciding on the project structure. Django itself provides a default structure, but you might see seasoned developers opting for a slightly different approach. Today, we'll delve into two common Django project structures, discuss their pros and cons, and help you understand which one is generally preferred by professionals and why.

Let's take a look at the two structures we'll be comparing:

**Django-structure_1 (Nested Source Directory):**

erp_backend/
├── Dockerfile
├── docker-compose.yml
└── erp/
    ├── manage.py
    ├── accounts/
    │   ├── __init__.py
    │   ├── admin.py
    │   ├── apps.py
    │   ├── migrations/
    │   │   └── __init__.py
    │   ├── models.py
    │   ├── tests.py
    │   └── views.py
    ├── products/
    │   ├── __init__.py
    │   ├── admin.py
    │   ├── apps.py
    │   ├── migrations/
    │   │   └── __init__.py
    │   ├── models.py
    │   ├── tests.py
    │   └── views.py
    └── erp/
        ├── __init__.py
        ├── asgi.py
        ├── settings.py
        ├── urls.py
        └── wsgi.py
        

**Django-structure_2 (Default Flat Structure):**

erp_backend/
├── Dockerfile
├── docker-compose.yml
├── manage.py
├── accounts/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── admin.py
│   ├── apps.py
│   ├── migrations/
│   │   └── __init__.py
│   ├── models.py
│   ├── tests.py
│   └── views.py
├── products/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── admin.py
│   ├── apps.py
│   ├── migrations/
│   │   └── __init__.py
│   ├── models.py
│   ├── tests.py
│   └── views.py
└── erp/
    ├── __init__.py
    ├── asgi.py
    ├── settings.py
    ├── urls.py
    └── wsgi.py

Django-structure_2: The Familiar Starting Point

This is the structure you get straight out of the box when you run the django-admin startproject <project_name> . command (note the trailing dot which creates the project in the current directory).

Pros:

• Simplicity for Beginners: It's very straightforward and easy for newcomers to Django to grasp. All the core components are at the root level.
• Default and Familiar: As the default, most tutorials and basic examples will likely follow this structure, making it easier to follow along initially.

Cons:

• Cluttered Project Root: As your project grows, the root directory (erp_backend/ in this case) can become quite crowded. You'll have your Django apps (accounts, products), essential Django files (manage.py), and project-level configuration files (Dockerfile, docker-compose.yml) all residing at the same level. This can make it harder to navigate and distinguish between different types of project files.

Django-structure_1: The Professional Choice - Embracing a Source Directory

The first structure introduces an extra level of nesting by placing all your Django-related code within a dedicated source directory (named erp in this example, but often also named src).

Pros:

• Clear Separation of Concerns: This is the most significant advantage. It clearly separates your application's source code from project-level configuration and infrastructure files. The root directory (erp_backend/) becomes a clean space for project-level concerns like Docker configuration, CI/CD pipelines, documentation, and potentially other non-Django components (like a separate frontend application).
• Enhanced Scalability and Maintainability: As your project scales, this separation becomes crucial for organization. Imagine adding a React or Vue frontend, documentation files, or utility scripts. With a dedicated source directory, the root remains uncluttered, making it easier to manage different parts of your larger project.
• Avoidance of Import Ambiguities: In more complex projects, having your project's settings and main application files directly in the root can sometimes lead to import ambiguities or naming conflicts. Nesting your source code within a dedicated directory mitigates these risks and makes your imports more explicit and less prone to errors. For instance, when referring to your project's settings, the import path becomes more clearly defined as erp.erp.settings (if erp is your source directory and also the inner project name).

Cons:

• Slightly More Initial Setup: It requires a small adjustment during project setup. You would typically create the base project directory (erp_backend/) and then run django-admin startproject erp . inside a newly created erp/ directory (or src/).
• Potentially Longer Import Paths: While promoting clarity, the import paths within your Django project will be slightly longer (e.g., from erp.accounts.models import User). However, most professionals find this a worthwhile trade-off for the improved organization.