Getting Started with Django-Appointment

Django-Appointment is a flexible Django app for managing appointment scheduling. This guide will walk you through the basic setup process.

Installation

Install Django-Appointment using pip:

pip install django-appointment

Add "appointment" to your INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py:

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    # other apps
    'appointment',
    'django_q',  # Optional: for email reminders
]

Include the appointment URLconf in your project's urls.py:

from django.urls import path, include

urlpatterns = [
    # other urls
    path('appointment/', include('appointment.urls')),
]

Configuration

In your settings.py, configure the user model (if using a custom one):

AUTH_USER_MODEL = 'your_app.YourUserModel'  # Optional if using Django's default user model

Set the website name:

APPOINTMENT_WEBSITE_NAME = 'Your Website Name'

For email reminders (optional), configure Django Q:

Q_CLUSTER = {
   'name': 'DjangORM',
   'workers': 4,
   'timeout': 90,
   'retry': 120,
   'queue_limit': 50,
   'bulk': 10,
   'orm': 'default',
}
USE_DJANGO_Q_FOR_EMAILS = True

For more configuration options, refer to this page.

Database Setup

Create and apply migrations:

python manage.py makemigrations appointment
python manage.py migrate

Start the Django Q cluster (if using email reminders):

python manage.py qcluster

Initial Setup

Start your Django development server:

python manage.py runserver

Access the admin panel at http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/ to create services, manage configurations, and handle appointments.
Create at least one service before using the application.
Access the appointment booking page at http://127.0.0.1:8000/appointment/request/<service_id>/.

Template Configuration

Ensure your base template includes the following blocks:

{% block customCSS %}{% endblock %}
{% block title %}{% endblock %}
{% block description %}{% endblock %}
{% block body %}{% endblock %}
{% block customJS %}{% endblock %}

Note: At minimum, the customCSS, body, and customJS blocks are required. jQuery is also necessary for proper functionality.

Customization

You can override default settings in your settings.py.

Next Steps

Explore the admin interface to manage services, staff, and appointments.
Customize the appearance and behavior by overriding templates and extending views.
Implement additional features like payment integration or custom notifications.