Open In App

Django Template Tags

Last Updated : 02 Jun, 2023
Improve
Improve
Like Article
Like
Save
Share
Report

Django Web Framework ships with dozens of tags used to implement arbitrary logics right in the template. Tags look like this: {% tag %}. Tags are more complex than variables: Some create text in the output, some control flow by performing loops or logic, and some load external information into the template to be used by later variables. Tags provide arbitrary logic in the rendering process. For example, a tag can output content, serve as a control structure e.g. an “if” statement or a “for” loop, grab content from a database, or even enable access to other template tags.

Syntax
{% tag_name %}
Example

Tags are surrounded by {% and %} like this:

{% csrf_token %}

Most tags accept arguments, for example :

{% cycle 'odd' 'even' %}

Commonly used Tags in Django Templates

  1. Comment

    Template ignores everything between {% comment %} and {% endcomment %}. An optional note may be inserted in the first tag. For example, this is useful when commenting out code for documenting why the code was disabled.
    Example

    {% comment "Optional note" %}
        
    Commented out text with {{ create_date|date:"c" }}
    
    
    {% endcomment %}
    

    To check more about comment tag, visit – comment – Django template tags

  2. cycle

    It produces one of its arguments each time this tag is encountered. The first argument is produced on the first encounter, the second argument on the second encounter, and so forth. Once all arguments are exhausted, the tag cycles to the first argument and produces it again.
    Example
    This tag is particularly useful in a loop:




    {% for o in some_list %} 
        <tr class="{% cycle 'row1' 'row2' %}"
            ... 
        </tr
    {% endfor %} 

    
    

    The first iteration produces HTML that refers to class row1, the second to row2, the third to row1 again, and so on for each iteration of the loop.
    To check more about cycle tag, visit – cycle – Django Template Tags

  3. extends

    extends tag is used for inheritance of templates in django. One needs to repeat the same code again and again. Using extends we can inherit templates as well as variables.
    Example
    Assume the following directory structure:

    dir1/
        template.html
        base2.html
        my/
            base3.html
    base1.html

    In template.html, the following paths would be valid:

    {% extends "./base2.html" %}
    {% extends "../base1.html" %}
    {% extends "./my/base3.html" %}

    To check more about extends tag, visit – extends – Django Template Tags

  4. if

    The {% if %} tag evaluates a variable, and if that variable is “true” (i.e. exists, is not empty, and is not a false boolean value) the contents of the block are output.Example




    {% if athlete_list %}
        Number of athletes: {{ athlete_list|length }}
    {% elif athlete_in_locker_room_list %}
        Athletes should be out of the locker room soon!
    {% else %}
        No athletes.
    {% endif %}

    
    

    In the above, if athlete_list is not empty, the number of athletes will be displayed by the {{ athlete_list|length }} variable.

    As one can see, the if tag may take one or several {% elif %} clauses, as well as an {% else %} clause that will be displayed if all previous conditions fail. These clauses are optional.

    To check more about if tag, visit – if – Django Template Tags

  5. for loop

    for tag loops over each item in an array, making the item available in a context variable.
    Example
    For example, to display a list of athletes provided in athlete_list:




    <ul>
    {% for athlete in athlete_list %}
        <li>{{ athlete.name }}</li>
    {% endfor %}
    </ul>

    
    

    To check more about for loop tag, visit – for loop – Django Template Tags

  6. for … empty loop

    for tag loops over each item in an array, making the item available in a context variable. The for tag can take an optional {% empty %} clause whose text is displayed if the given array is empty or could not be found. This is basically used as a condition to be followed to check if queryset is empty and what action to be performed in the same scenario.

    Example




    <ul
    {% if athlete_list %} 
        {% for athlete in athlete_list %} 
        <li>{{ athlete.name }}</li
        {% endfor %} 
    {% else %} 
        <li>Sorry, no athletes in this list.</li
    {% endif %} 
    </ul

    
    

    To check more about for … empty loop tag, visit – for … empty loop – Django Template Tags

  7. Boolean Operators

    The {% if %} tag evaluates a variable, and if that variable is “true” (i.e. exists, is not empty, and is not a false boolean value) the contents of the block are output. One can use various boolean operators with Django If Template tag.

    Example




    <ul
    {% if variable boolean_operator value %}
    // statements
    {% endif %}
    </ul

    
    

    To check more about Boolean Operators, visit – Boolean Operators – Django Template Tags

  8. firstof

    firstof tag Outputs the first argument variable that is not “false” (i.e. exists, is not empty, is not a false boolean value, and is not a zero numeric value). Outputs nothing if all the passed variables are “false”.

    Example

    {% firstof var1 var2 var3 %}

    This is equivalent to:

    {% if var1 %}
        {{ var1 }}
    {% elif var2 %}
        {{ var2 }}
    {% elif var3 %}
        {{ var3 }}
    {% endif %}

    One can also use a literal string as a fallback value in case all passed variables are False:

    {% firstof var1 var2 var3 "fallback value" %}

    To check more about firstof tag, visit – firstof – Django Template Tags

  9. include

    include tag loads a template and renders it with the current context. This is a way of “including” other templates within a template. The template name can either be a variable or a hard-coded (quoted) string, in either single or double quotes.

    Example

    {% include "foo/bar.html" %}

    Normally the template name is relative to the template loader’s root directory. A string argument may also be a relative path starting with ./ or ../ as described in the extends tag.

    To check more about include tag, visit – include – Django Template Tags

  10. lorem

    lorem tag displays random “lorem ipsum” Latin text. This is useful for providing sample data in templates.

    Example

    • {% lorem %} will output the common “lorem ipsum” paragraph.
    • {% lorem 3 p %} will output the common “lorem ipsum” paragraph and two random paragraphs each wrapped in HTML tags.
    • {% lorem 2 w random %} will output two random Latin words.

    To check more about lorem tag, visit – lorem – Django Template Tags

  11. now

    now tag displays the current date and/or time, using a format according to the given string. Such string can contain format specifiers characters as described in the date filter section.
    Example

    It is {% now "D d M Y" %}

    Above tag will display, Tue 04 Feb 2020

    To check more about now tag, visit – now – Django Template Tags

  12. url

    url tag Returns an absolute path reference (a URL without the domain name) matching a given view and optional parameters. This is a way to output links without violating the DRY principle by having to hard-code URLs in your templates.
    Example

    {% url 'some-url-name' v1 v2 %}

    The first argument is a URL pattern name. It can be a quoted literal or any other context variable. Additional arguments are optional and should be space-separated values that will be used as arguments in the URL.

    To check more about url tag, visit – Django Template Tags



Like Article
Suggest improvement
Previous
Next
Share your thoughts in the comments

Similar Reads