DjangoCon Europe 2023 | Django for life (sciences)

Learn how Django can benefit scientific projects with its flexibility, simplicity, and explicit code, making it an ideal choice for data storage, analysis, and collaboration.

Key takeaways
  • Benefits of using Django for scientific projects include the ability to quickly build and maintain a project, with a strong focus on data storage and analysis.
  • Using a generalist approach, like Django, allows for a focus on solving specific problems, rather than becoming overly specialized.
  • Django’s explicitness is a major benefit, as it makes it easier to understand and maintain code.
  • Python’s simplicity and flexibility are also key advantages, making it an ideal language for scientific computing.
  • When working on scientific projects, it’s essential to focus on reproducibility and shareability, which can be achieved through version control and documentation.
  • The author recommends putting code on GitHub, as it’s a culture within the scientific community, and allows for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
  • For small projects, the admin side of Django can be a valuable tool, as it provides a quick way to build and maintain a web application.
  • However, the author notes that the admin side should not be used as a crutch, and that it’s important to understand how the underlying code works.
  • The importance of biodiversity and conservation cannot be overstated, and Django can be used to help facilitate data collection and analysis for these efforts.
  • The author suggests that it’s essential to share knowledge and collaborate, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel or hoard knowledge.
  • In the end, the author emphasizes the importance of working with people who share a common goal, and being willing to learn and adapt to new technologies and approaches.