Handling Different URL Paths in Development vs Production

This is a common issue when deploying Django applications in subdirectories on production servers. You need a solution that allows your code to work in both environments without manual changes for each deployment.

Recommended Approaches

1. Use Relative URLs

Instead of hardcoding absolute paths in your templates and JavaScript, use relative URLs:

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<!-- Instead of this -->
<a href="/some/path/">Link</a>

<!-- Use this -->
<a href="{% url 'view_name' %}">Link</a>

For JavaScript/jQuery, you can pass the base URL to your scripts:

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<script>
    const BASE_URL = "{{ request.META.SCRIPT_NAME }}";
    // Then use BASE_URL + '/your/path' in your AJAX calls
</script>

2. Configure SCRIPT_NAME in WSGI/ASGI

You can configure your web server to set the SCRIPT_NAME environment variable, which Django will use as a prefix for all URLs:

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# In your WSGI file
import os
from django.core.wsgi import get_wsgi_application

os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', 'myproject.settings')
os.environ['SCRIPT_NAME'] = '/subdir/path'  # Set this for production only

application = get_wsgi_application()

3. Use Environment-Specific Settings

Create a settings structure that handles different environments:

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# settings/base.py - Common settings
# settings/dev.py - Development-specific settings
# settings/prod.py - Production-specific settings

# In prod.py
from .base import *

FORCE_SCRIPT_NAME = '/subdir/path'
STATIC_URL = '/subdir/path/static/'
MEDIA_URL = '/subdir/path/media/'

Then use the appropriate settings file based on the environment.

4. Use a Proxy or URL Rewriting

Configure your web server (Nginx, Apache) to handle the URL rewriting, so your Django application doesn't need to know it's in a subdirectory.

Best Practice

The most maintainable approach is a combination of:

1. Using Django's URL naming system ({% url 'name' %}) in templates
2. Setting environment-specific configuration in settings
3. Passing the base URL to JavaScript when needed

This way, your code remains the same across environments, and the configuration handles the differences.

Remember to update your STATIC_ROOT, STATIC_URL, and MEDIA_URL settings appropriately for your production environment as mentioned in the Django deployment checklist.