Static Files wont load

Using Django Mystery Errors
1

Im recently trying out Django again, and I’m running into trouble with loading static files. It seems to be a reoccuring issue accross all projects I create as I’ve followed the steps from https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.0/howto/static-files/
here is how my code from “settings.py”, “index.html” look like, please let me know if anymore information is needed.

# settings.py
DEBUG = True
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'myFirstApp',
]
STATIC_URL = 'static/'
# manual imports
STATICFILES = [
    BASE_DIR / "static"
]

Now for the HTML file.

<!-- html file from "../static/home_page/main.css" -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
{% load static %}
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="{% static 'home_page/main.css' %}">
    <title>Help Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <header>
        <div>
            <h3>Welcome to the <span><em>{{help_insert}}</em></span></h3>
        </div>
    </header>
</body>
</html>
2

Forgot to add, here’s the error produced

"GET /static/home_page/main.css HTTP/1.1" 404 1813

and here is where the django is trying to search for the folder, I haven’t a clue to change the searching directory

No matching file found for 'home_page/main.css'.

Looking in the following locations:
  C:\Users\user\anaconda3\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\admin\static
3

What directory is that file in?

Is this a development or production environment?

5

That’s not what I asked.

The file you’re trying to load - main.css - what directory is it in?

7

You show the directory name here as home_style, but your code above references a directory named home_page.

8

sorry, that was the wrong project;
here,

Screenshot 2022-07-23 171902
Screenshot 2022-07-23 171902232×533 9.95 KB

9

Have you made the url settings as described at Serving static files during development?

10

Ill have a look at that now, I dont think the tutorial im following stated this.

11

which file should I append this to? Should it be in my Application/Project or both??

12

I now get the same error, yet with a different code “1914”

"GET /static/home_page/main.css HTTP/1.1" 404 1914
13

Two things, one I just noticed - the settings is STATICFILES_DIRS not STATICFILES.

The other is that the 1914 isn’t a code - it’s the number of bytes in the reply. The code is still a 404.

14

since changed STATICFILES_DIR to STATICFILES = (os.path.join("static")) and nothing has changed as of yet, is there anywhere I should alter this?
Thank you for telling me, that was unknown :slight_smile:

15

I don’t understand what you’re saying you did here.

What’s your current STATICFILES_DIRS setting?

(See the sample at Settings | Django documentation | Django)

16

Should my STATICFILES_DIR link to the root directory of my “static” file like it shows in the link you’ve provided? or should I continue with the "BASE_DIR / ‘static’ " method.

Like you advised, I had changed the variable from STATICFILES_DIR=[...] to STATICFILES=[...]

17

You had STATICFILES - that’s what you posted at the top.

It needs to be STATICFILES_DIRS, not STATICFILES and not STATICFILES_DIR.

18

Okay, i altered the variable name and it works. Thank you very much Ken, I know im stressful to work with thank you for your patience.
Thank you Ken!

19

No worries! Glad you’ve got it working.

1 Like