Learning Log

A Django-based web application for tracking learning topics and entries. Users can create topics, add detailed learning entries, and track their progress.

Features

• User Authentication: Register, login, logout with Django's built-in auth system
• Topic Management: Create and view learning topics
• Entry Tracking: Add detailed entries to topics to document learning
• Responsive Design: Bootstrap-based UI for mobile and desktop
• Admin Panel: Django admin interface for data management

Tech Stack

• Backend: Django 5.2.8
• Frontend: Bootstrap 4, HTML/CSS
• Database: SQLite (development), PostgreSQL (production)
• Server: Gunicorn + WhiteNoise for static files
• Deployment: Render (free tier)

Prerequisites

• Python 3.12+
• pip or uv (package manager)
• Git

Local Setup

1. Clone the repo

git clone https://github.com/int-arsh/learning_log.git
cd learning_log

2. Create virtual environment

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Run migrations

python manage.py migrate

5. Create superuser (admin)

python manage.py createsuperuser

6. Run development server

python manage.py runserver

Visit http://localhost:8000 in your browser.

Project Structure

learning_log/
├── learning_log/          # Main project settings
│   ├── settings.py        # Django configuration
│   ├── urls.py            # Root URL routing
│   ├── wsgi.py            # WSGI application
│   └── asgi.py            # ASGI application
├── learning_logs/         # Learning log app
│   ├── models.py          # Topic & Entry models
│   ├── views.py           # App views
│   ├── urls.py            # App URL routing
│   ├── forms.py           # Django forms
│   └── templates/         # App templates
├── users/                 # User authentication app
│   ├── views.py           # Registration & auth views
│   ├── urls.py            # Auth URL routing
│   └── templates/         # Auth templates
├── manage.py              # Django CLI
├── requirements.txt       # Python dependencies
├── Procfile               # Deployment configuration
└── README.md              # This file

Deployment on Render (Free)

Prerequisites

• GitHub account with repo pushed
• Render.com free account

Steps

1. Prepare repo

# Ensure all changes are committed
git add .
git commit -m "Prepare for Render deployment"
git push origin main

2. Create Render Web Service

• Go to render.com/dashboard
• Click "New +" → "Web Service"
• Select your GitHub repo
• Choose runtime: Python 3.12

3. Configure Build & Start Commands

Build Command:

pip install -r requirements.txt && python manage.py collectstatic --noinput && python manage.py migrate

Start Command:

gunicorn learning_log.wsgi --log-file -

4. Set Environment Variables

Add these in Render's Environment tab:

Key	Value
DEBUG	false
SECRET_KEY	Generate strong key
ALLOWED_HOSTS	.onrender.com

5. Deploy

Click "Deploy". Render will:

1. Install dependencies
2. Collect static files
3. Run migrations
4. Start the app

Your app will be live at https://<your-service-name>.onrender.com

Database Persistence (Optional)

SQLite on Render's free tier is ephemeral (data lost on redeploy). For production:

• Add a Render PostgreSQL database
• Copy its DATABASE_URL to environment variables
• Render auto-configures the connection

Usage

Register

1. Visit /users/register/
2. Create account with username & password

Create a Topic

1. Login
2. Click "New Topic"
3. Enter topic name and save

Add an Entry

1. Click a topic
2. Click "New Entry"
3. Write your learning notes and save

Admin Panel

1. Visit /admin/
2. Login with superuser credentials
3. Manage users, topics, and entries

Troubleshooting

Migrations Failed

python manage.py showmigrations
python manage.py migrate learning_logs

Static Files Not Loading

python manage.py collectstatic --clear --noinput

Render Deployment Issues

• Check build logs in Render dashboard
• Verify SECRET_KEY is set in environment
• Ensure gunicorn is in requirements.txt

License

MIT License - feel free to use and modify.

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Fork, create a feature branch, and submit a pull request.

Author

int-arsh | GitHub