Django is loading templates from a wrong directory

Using Django
1

Hello,

I am trying to set a root directory for my templates on top of the app directories. The idea would be to have a base directory from which apps can extend the templates as desired.

Here is my templates settings in project_name/project_name/settings.py :

TEMPLATES = [

    {

        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',

        'DIRS': [],

        'APP_DIRS': True,

        'OPTIONS': {

            'context_processors': [

                'django.template.context_processors.debug',

                'django.template.context_processors.request',

                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',

                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',

            ],

        },

    },

]

when looking at the template loading, I see in the error message that django is trying to load templates from :

c:\Users\User\project_name\app_name\templates\project_name\base.html (Source does not exist)

i don’t undersand the second project_name because it shoud be app_name. I checked, the app in question has a name defined in its apps.py. Any idea what I am doing wrong ?

2

For that “root directory” to work, you need to set it within “DIRS” list, something like:


BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))

TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
        'DIRS': [os.path.join(BASE_DIR, "templates")], # This should produce a "c:\Users\User\project_name\templates" path
        'APP_DIRS': True,
        'OPTIONS': {
            'context_processors': [
                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
                'django.template.context_processors.request',
                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
            ],
        },
    },
]
1 Like
3

Hello,

Thanks for the answer. Indeed, I need this.

But at the moment, I first want to understand why django is calling a directory called “project_name” for my “app_name” rather than “app_name” as foreseen :

c:\Users\User\project_name\app_name\templates\project_name\base.html

should be

c:\Users\User\project_name\app_name\templates\app_name\base.html
4

Calling from where? Please show how you’re trying to load a template.

1 Like
5

from project_name/app_name/views.py :

class myView(ListView):

    [...]

    template_name = "app_name/index.html"
6

Ok, but your error is about “base.html”, so I assume your index.html file should have the {% extend ... %} tag at the top, could you show it?

1 Like
7

You are correct. The issue must come from there :

{% extends “project_name/base.html” %}

8

So here you are, in your case, project_name/base.html tells Django that project_name is the name of the app, that’s why it looks for a template at: c:\Users\User\project_name\app_name\templates\project_name\base.html.

You don’t need to use a project_name in a template path. If you want to load a template file from the top level directory i.e. root, just call it by its name:

{% extends “base.html” %}

Hope this helps

1 Like
9

It’s right on spot. Thank you very much for your help and your time !

10

no problem, you’re welcome!