manage.py

manage.py#

1. What is manage.py?#

manage.py is the command-line interface for a Django project. It sets the project’s settings module and allows developers to execute administrative tasks such as running the development server, creating applications, and managing database migrations.

It is the main entry point you use to:

  • run the development server

  • create apps

  • manage the database

  • perform administrative tasks

Location:

mysite/manage.py

2. Why does manage.py exist?#

Django needs two things to run commands correctly:

  1. To know which settings file to use

  2. To pass your command (like runserver) into Django’s internal system

manage.py does exactly that.

Think of it as a bridge between your terminal and Django.

3.How you use manage.py#

Almost every Django command starts like this:

python manage.py <command>

If manage.py is missing or you run commands outside its folder, Django won’t work.

Common examples

python manage.py runserver
python manage.py startapp blog
python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate
python manage.py createsuperuser
python manage.py shell

Check out this list for more commands.

4. Typical contents of manage.py#

#!/usr/bin/env python
import os
import sys

def main():
    os.environ.setdefault(
        'DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE',
        'mysite.settings'
    )
    try:
        from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line
    except ImportError:
        raise
    execute_from_command_line(sys.argv)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

1️⃣ Set the settings module#

os.environ.setdefault(
    'DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE',
    'mysite.settings'
)

This tells Django:

“Use mysite/settings.py as the configuration file for this project.”

mysite.settings refers to the inner mysite/ folder, not the outer one.

2️⃣ Import Django’s command system#

from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line

This imports Django’s internal command handler.

All commands like runserver, migrate, etc. are implemented inside Django itself.

3️⃣ Execute the command#

execute_from_command_line(sys.argv)
This line:

  • Reads what you typed in the terminal

  • Passes it to Django

  • Executes the corresponding command

Example:

python manage.py runserver

sys.argv contains:

["manage.py", "runserver"]
What manage.py is NOT

  • Not the web server

  • Not a settings file

  • Not an app

  • Not imported in your code

It is only a launcher and dispatcher.

Why you should NOT modify manage.py

In most projects:

  • manage.py stays unchanged

  • Django generates it correctly

  • Editing it can break commands

You only modify it in advanced custom setups.

Common beginner mistakes

  • Running Django commands outside the folder containing manage.py

  • Renaming manage.py

  • Deleting it accidentally

  • Thinking it runs automatically without the terminal

You avoided all of these

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