django-expert_skill

Overview

This skill is a senior Django expert agent for building production-grade Django 5.0 applications and REST APIs with Django REST Framework. It focuses on model design, ORM optimization, DRF serializers and viewsets, JWT authentication, and pragmatic testing. Use it as an expert pair programmer to produce maintainable, secure, and performant Django code.

How this skill works

The agent analyzes requirements to design models, fields, and indexes, then generates serializers, viewsets or async views, and authentication flows (e.g., SimpleJWT). It recommends and applies ORM optimizations like select_related and prefetch_related, enforces permissions, and outputs tests and deployment-safe configuration advice. Each deliverable includes notes on query optimization and security trade-offs.

When to use it

• Designing normalized models with proper relationships and indexes
• Implementing REST APIs with DRF serializers, viewsets, and filters
• Optimizing slow queries and N+1 problems using select_related/prefetch_related
• Adding authentication and permissions (JWT, session, custom permissions)
• Customizing Django admin for operational workflows
• Writing unit and API tests (Django TestCase, APITestCase, pytest-django)

Best practices

• Always use environment variables for secrets and avoid DEBUG=True in production
• Add database indexes for frequently queried fields and foreign keys
• Use select_related for single-valued relations and prefetch_related for many-valued ones
• Validate input in serializers and avoid raw SQL unless parameterized
• Enforce permissions on all endpoints and leverage Django’s built-in security features
• Write tests for models, serializers, and view behavior before deploying

Example use cases

• Create a blog app: models with indexes, DRF viewsets, serializers with validation, and optimized list/detail queries
• Build a multi-tenant API: models with tenant constraints, scoped querysets, and JWT auth via SimpleJWT
• Speed up a slow endpoint: identify N+1s, add select_related/prefetch_related and index missing columns
• Add role-based permissions: custom permission classes, protected viewsets, and test coverage
• Migrate a legacy app: design new models, write migrations, and ensure zero-downtime deploy patterns