Python/Django Project

Environment validation for Python and Django applications

Overview

This example shows how to configure envcheck for a Django project. It validates Python version, package management tools, required environment variables with pattern validation, and Django-specific files.

Configuration

.envcheck.yaml

version: "1"

tools:
  - name: python
    version: ">=3.9.0"
    required: true
  - name: pip
    required: true
  - name: docker
    required: false

env_vars:
  - name: SECRET_KEY
    required: true
  - name: DATABASE_URL
    required: true
  - name: DEBUG
    required: false
    pattern: "^(True|False|1|0)$"

ports:
  - 8000 # Default Django dev server port

files:
  - path: manage.py
    required: true
  - path: requirements.txt
    required: true
  - path: .env
    required: false

What This Checks

Tools

• python >=3.9.0: Ensures compatibility with modern Python features and Django 4.x requirements
• pip: Validates Python package manager is available for dependency installation
• docker (optional): Checks for Docker if you’re using containerized databases or services

Environment Variables

• SECRET_KEY (required): Django’s cryptographic signing key - must be set for security
• DATABASE_URL (required): Database connection string (e.g., postgres://user:pass@localhost/db)
• DEBUG (optional): When set, validates it matches boolean patterns (True/False/1/0)

Ports

• 8000: Django’s default development server port - ensures it’s available for python manage.py runserver

Files

• manage.py: Django’s management script - confirms you’re in a Django project root
• requirements.txt: Python dependencies file for reproducible environments
• .env (optional): Environment file - recommended but not required

Expected Output

Success

$ envcheck

✓ Tools
  ✓ python: 3.11.4 (>= 3.9.0)
  ✓ pip: installed
  ✓ docker: installed

✓ Environment Variables
  ✓ SECRET_KEY: ***
  ✓ DATABASE_URL: ***
  ✓ DEBUG: True

✓ Ports
  ✓ 8000: available

✓ Files
  ✓ manage.py: exists
  ✓ requirements.txt: exists
  ✓ .env: exists

All checks passed!

Tips for Django Projects

Generate a strong SECRET_KEY using Django’s utility:

python -c 'from django.core.management.utils import get_random_secret_key; print(get_random_secret_key())'

Never commit your SECRET_KEY to version control. Use environment variables or .env files (added to .gitignore).

The pattern validation for DEBUG ensures only valid boolean values are used, preventing common mistakes like setting DEBUG=yes.

Common Variations

Django REST Framework API

Add API-specific environment checks:

env_vars:
  - name: SECRET_KEY
    required: true
  - name: DATABASE_URL
    required: true
  - name: CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS
    required: true
  - name: JWT_SECRET_KEY
    required: true

Celery Task Queue

Validate async task infrastructure:

tools:
  - name: python
    version: ">=3.9.0"
    required: true
  - name: redis-cli
    required: true

env_vars:
  - name: CELERY_BROKER_URL
    required: true
  - name: CELERY_RESULT_BACKEND
    required: true

ports:
  - 8000  # Django
  - 6379  # Redis

Production Deployment

Add production-specific requirements:

tools:
  - name: gunicorn
    required: true
  - name: psycopg2
    required: true

env_vars:
  - name: DEBUG
    required: true
    pattern: "^(False|0)$"  # Ensure DEBUG is off
  - name: ALLOWED_HOSTS
    required: true

Poetry Projects

For projects using Poetry instead of pip:

tools:
  - name: python
    version: ">=3.9.0"
    required: true
  - name: poetry
    version: ">=1.2.0"
    required: true

files:
  - path: pyproject.toml
    required: true
  - path: poetry.lock
    required: true

Learn More

• Tools Validator - Python version management and virtual environments
• Environment Variables - Pattern validation and security
• Port Checker - Multi-service port management
• File Validator - Django project structure validation