Synchronous Applications

Monolithic applications are a type of software where all components of the system (e.g., user interface, business logic, and database) are integrated into a single, unified structure. In this architecture, all the components run as part of one application.

Features of Monolithic Applications

• Unified Structure:

  All components (frontend, backend, and database) are contained in a single executable or process.

• Simple Development and Deployment:

  Developers manage a single codebase, making development and deployment straightforward.

• Good Performance for Small-Scale Projects:

  Suitable for small or medium-sized projects where speed and simplicity are priorities.

• High Component Dependency:

  Even small changes can require rebuilding and redeploying the entire application.

Advantages of Monolithic Applications

• Simpler Initial Development:

  Easier to start for small projects as there’s no need to implement separate services.

• Easier to Manage:

  One codebase and one deployment for the entire application.

• Ideal for Small Teams:

  Suitable for teams that don’t require splitting services.

• High Performance for Simple Requests:

  No inter-service communication means faster response times.

Disadvantages of Monolithic Applications

1. Difficult Scalability:

   For large projects, scaling or modifying parts of the system often requires rewriting significant portions of code.

2. High Risk of Changes:

   Small changes can impact the functionality of the entire system.

3. Complex Management for Large Teams:

   Managing a large codebase becomes challenging for big development teams.

4. Long Deployment Times:

   As the application grows, compile and deployment times increase.

When to Use Monolithic Applications?

• Small to Medium Projects:

  When the project is small and doesn’t require extensive scalability.

• Small Development Teams:

  When the team is small, and splitting tasks would create unnecessary complexity.

• Limited Timeframe:

  When the project needs to be delivered quickly.

Building a Monolithic Application with Django

Django is designed by default to create monolithic applications, making it straightforward to build a comprehensive application where all parts, such as business logic, presentation layer, and database management, are integrated into a single structure.

Steps to Build a Monolithic Application in Django

1. Create a Django Project

First, create a new Django project, which sets up the overall structure of your application.

django-admin startproject myproject cd myproject 

2. Create Apps

In a monolithic architecture, each app is responsible for a specific part of the project, but all apps reside within a shared codebase and are interconnected.

python manage.py startapp blog python manage.py startapp shop 

• Blog App: Manages posts and articles.
• Shop App: Manages products and purchases.

3. Initial Settings in settings.py

Add the newly created apps to the settings.py file.

INSTALLED_APPS = [ 'django.contrib.admin', 'django.contrib.auth', 'django.contrib.contenttypes', 'django.contrib.sessions', 'django.contrib.messages', 'django.contrib.staticfiles', 'blog', 'shop', ] 

4. Define Models

Each app defines models related to its functionality. These models directly connect to the database.

Blog App (models.py):

from django.db import models class Post(models.Model): title = models.CharField(max_length=200) content = models.TextField() created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True) def __str__(self): return self.title 

Shop App (models.py):

from django.db import models class Product(models.Model): name = models.CharField(max_length=100) price = models.DecimalField(max_digits=10, decimal_places=2) description = models.TextField() def __str__(self): return self.name 

5. Database Management

Migrate the models to the database:

python manage.py makemigrations python manage.py migrate 

6. Define URLs

Define the routes for your apps in the project’s urls.py file.

myproject/urls.py:

from django.contrib import admin from django.urls import path, include urlpatterns = [ path('admin/', admin.site.urls), path('blog/', include('blog.urls')), # Blog App URL  path('shop/', include('shop.urls')), # Shop App URL ] 

blog/urls.py:

from django.urls import path from . import views urlpatterns = [ path('', views.index, name='blog_index'), ] 

shop/urls.py:

from django.urls import path from . import views urlpatterns = [ path('', views.index, name='shop_index'), ] 

7. Create Views

Views handle requests and send responses.

Blog App (views.py):

from django.shortcuts import render from .models import Post def index(request): posts = Post.objects.all() return render(request, 'blog/index.html', {'posts': posts}) 

Shop App (views.py):

from django.shortcuts import render from .models import Product def index(request): products = Product.objects.all() return render(request, 'shop/index.html', {'products': products}) 

8. Create Templates

Define templates to display data in your applications.

Blog Template (blog/templates/blog/index.html):

<h1>Blog Posts</h1> <ul> {% for post in posts %} <li>{{ post.title }}</li> {% endfor %} </ul> 

Shop Template (shop/templates/shop/index.html):

<h1>Shop Products</h1> <ul> {% for product in products %} <li>{{ product.name }} - ${{ product.price }}</li> {% endfor %} </ul> 

9. Run the Server and Test the Project

Run the Django server and test your application:

python manage.py runserver 

• Open http://127.0.0.1:8000/blog/ to view the blog posts.
• Open http://127.0.0.1:8000/shop/ to view the products.

Advantages and Disadvantages of This Approach in Django

Advantages:

1. Simplicity in Development:All parts of the project are in a single manageable structure.
2. Complete Integration:All components are directly connected without the complexity of inter-service communication.

Disadvantages:

1. Limited Scalability:As the project grows, managing the codebase becomes more challenging.
2. High Risk:An error in one part can impact the entire system.