Get Started

Follow this 5-minute setup guide to have PyBoilerplate running locally. With the essentials already configured, you can focus on developing features that matter to your business.

Download or Clone PyBoilerplate via Github Repository

After purchasing PyBoilerplate, you'll gain immediate access to the boilerplate GitHub repository. To begin, you have two options:

1. Clone the repository using Git

# Terminal
git clone https://github_url.com

2. Download the repository as a ZIP file directly from GitHub

  • Navigate to the repository page
  • Click the green "Code" button
  • Select "Download ZIP"

Note: Once you have the code on your local machine, you're ready to start customizing and building your application. We recommend creating a new Git repository for your project to track your changes.

Project Setup

Project Setup

1. Navigate to the project's root directory

# Terminal
cd path/to/pyboilerplate

2. Create and activate a virtual environment (recommended)

# Terminal
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows, use `venv\Scripts\activate`

 

Install Dependencies

Install all required packages using pip:

# Terminal
pip install -r requirements.txt

 

Environment Configuration

Create your environment file by copying the example:

# Terminal
cp .env.example .env

Run PyBoilerplate locally

1. Start the development processes (requires two terminal windows):

  • Terminal 1 - Django Development Server
# Terminal 1
python manage.py runserver
# Terminal 2
npx tailwindcss -i ./static/tailwind/input.css -o ./static/tailwind/output.css --watch

2. Access the application at http://127.0.0.1:8000 or http://localhost:8000 

Notes:

  • Both commands must be run from the project root directory (where manage.py is located)
  • The Tailwind CSS compiler automatically rebuilds styles when changes are detected
  • For UI customization options, refer to the "UI Design" section

PyCharm Specific Setup (Optional)

If you're using PyCharm, you'll need to configure File Watchers to automatically compile and minify your Tailwind CSS and JavaScript files for optimal performance, as detailed below.

 

Required Optimization Tools

Before setting up File Watchers, you need to install two optimization packages that will minimize your CSS and JavaScript files, reducing their size for better performance:

# Install CSSO - CSS optimizer that minifies and optimizes CSS files
npm install -g csso-cli

# Install UglifyJS - JavaScript parser, minifier, and compressor
npm install -g uglify-js

# Verify installations
csso --version
uglifyjs --version

 

File Watchers Configuration

PyCharm requires configuring a File Watcher for real-time Tailwind CSS compilation. Without this setup, your CSS changes won't be reflected in your application.

1. In PyCharm, go to Settings/Preferences → Tools → File Watchers

2. Click + and add the watcher: 

pycharm file watchers

PyCharm Settings - File Watchers

 

CSS Compression Guide: Detailed walkthrough of setting up CSS compression in PyCharm

JavaScript Minification Guide: Step-by-step instructions for JavaScript minification with UglifyJS