Django - putting static files inside app folder

Question

I've started an django app in an existing project and I'm trying to follow the project's pattern to organize stuff. In other apps I see that the static files are in the app itself, eg: File path: appname/static/js/file.js Javascript, inside the template: <script src="{% static 'js/file.js' %}"></script>

This works in other apps. I'm trying to do the same but the rendered file url gives me a 404 error.

What should I be checking to make it work? I've looked in the settings file, but there is nothing special there nor in the urls.

Thanks for any help

Answer 1

The path appname/static/ is the default that Django will look for in every installed app, no settings needed. Make sure your new app is actually listed in settings.INSTALLED_APPS.

Since you are on the development server, maybe you are missing the static file URLs. Make sure this is at the end of urls.py:

if settings.DEBUG:
    from django.contrib.staticfiles.urls import staticfiles_urlpatterns
    urlpatterns += staticfiles_urlpatterns()

That adds URL path /static/ for all files in any appname/static/.

Also, if you have more directories (not appname/static/) that you want to map to a URL path when using the development server, you could add then with static() like this

if settings.DEBUG:
    from django.conf.urls.static import static
    urlpatterns += static('/pics/', document_root=/var/www/pictures/)