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I am very new to python/django programming, as in I have no programming background. I am working on a class online and I just would like to know exactly what the manage.py file does. I've tried googling it, but I have not found any answers other than it puts a thin shell around django-admin.py. I still don't understand what the file does. I just know I need to type it whenever I do certain things.

Audra
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(I assume you've read the documentation. But if not, take note that one of Django's great strong points is its documentation -- I recommend going there first before hitting Google.)

You can think of the arguments you pass to manage.py as subcommands. It is your tool for executing many Django-specific tasks -- starting a new app within a project, running the development server, running your tests...

It is also an extension point where you can access custom commands you write yourself that are specific to your apps.

Paul Bissex
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    Yes I did read the documentation (as I believe I stated) and as I said since I am NEW to programming, that is pretty much greek to me. Much of the documentation written is WONDERFUL if you have a programming background. But if you have no programming background whatsoever, it doesn't really explain basic concepts. – Audra Mar 14 '14 at 19:32
  • I don't know what "working on a class online" means specifically, but I don't recommend working with a big web framework like Django as a good way to learn programming. Try [getting your feet wet in Python first](http://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/) and then moving on to a specific project (maybe in Django, maybe in something simpler like [Flask](http://flask.pocoo.org/), or maybe something else entirely). – Paul Bissex Mar 18 '14 at 18:11
  • "working on a class online" means I am taking an online beginner's python course. I saw that course that you linked to, but I feel that it is written for those with a background in programming, which I do not have. Thanks for the advice, though. – Audra Mar 18 '14 at 22:29
  • `But if not, take note that one of Django's great strong points is its documentation -- I recommend going there first before hitting Google` ? Ops I mostly found the document topics by hitting the google. – Asif Mushtaq Mar 01 '21 at 20:55