Django - what is the difference between render(), render_to_response() and direct_to_template()?

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/topics/http/shortcuts/#render

render(request, template[, dictionary][, context_instance][, content_type][, status][, current_app])

render() is a brand spanking new shortcut for render_to_response in 1.3 that will automatically use RequestContext that I will most definitely be using from now on.

2020 EDIT: It should be noted that render_to_response() was removed in Django 3.0

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/topics/http/shortcuts/#render-to-response

render_to_response(template[, dictionary][, context_instance][, mimetype])¶

render_to_response is your standard render function used in the tutorials and such. To use RequestContext you'd have to specify context_instance=RequestContext(request)

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/ref/generic-views/#django-views-generic-simple-direct-to-template

direct_to_template is a generic view that I use in my views (as opposed to in my urls) because like the new render() function, it automatically uses RequestContext and all its context_processors.

But direct_to_template should be avoided as function based generic views are deprecated. Either use render or an actual class, see https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.3/topics/generic-views-migration/

I'm happy I haven't typed RequestContext in a long, long time.

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Rephrasing Yuri, Fábio, and Frosts answers for the Django noob (i.e. me) - almost certainly a simplification, but a good starting point?

render_to_response() is the "original", but requires you putting context_instance=RequestContext(request) in nearly all the time, a PITA.

direct_to_template() is designed to be used just in urls.py without a view defined in views.py but it can be used in views.py to avoid having to type RequestContext

render() is a shortcut for render_to_response() that automatically supplies context_instance=Request.... Its available in the django development version (1.2.1) but many have created their own shortcuts such as this one, this one or the one that threw me initially, Nathans basic.tools.shortcuts.py

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Render is

def render(request, *args, **kwargs):
    """ Simple wrapper for render_to_response. """
    kwargs['context_instance'] = RequestContext(request)
    return render_to_response(*args, **kwargs)

So there is really no difference between render_to_response except it wraps your context making the template pre-processors work.

Direct to template is a generic view.

There is really no sense in using it here because there is overhead over render_to_response in the form of view function.

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From django docs:

render() is the same as a call to render_to_response() with a context_instance argument that that forces the use of a RequestContext.

direct_to_template is something different. It's a generic view that uses a data dictionary to render the html without the need of the views.py, you use it in urls.py. Docs here

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Just one note I could not find in the answers above. In this code:

context_instance = RequestContext(request)
return render_to_response(template_name, user_context, context_instance)

What the third parameter context_instance actually does? Being RequestContext it sets up some basic context which is then added to user_context. So the template gets this extended context. What variables are added is given by TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS in settings.py. For instance django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth adds variable user and variable perm which are then accessible in the template.

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