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

What does the error message on the page display, given that you have set `DEBUG=True` in the settings file? — Martin Hallén, Jun 17 '16 at 17:07
Well, this should't return a 404 error, are you sure there are not any other error messages. Could you give all the details given when you get a 404? — Martin Hallén, Jun 17 '16 at 17:14
@mart0903 Request Method: GET Request URL: http://localhost:8001/static/file.js Raised by: django.contrib.staticfiles.views.serve 'js/file.js' could not be found You're seeing this error because you have DEBUG = True in your Django settings file. Change that to False, and Django will display a standard 404 page. — André Luiz, Jun 17 '16 at 17:20
Have you added your app to the `INSTALLED_APPS` in `settings.py`? — Martin Hallén, Jun 17 '16 at 17:22
Also, check this question. I suspect this might be the same problem. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6014663/django-static-file-not-found — Martin Hallén, Jun 17 '16 at 17:23

score 13 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 17 '16 at 17:27

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/)

Thanks a lot, you have answered even more than I needed to know! — André Luiz, Jun 17 '16 at 21:01

Django - putting static files inside app folder

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