Whats the difference (in language a python/django noob can understand) in a view between render(), render_to_response() and direct_to_template()?

e.g. from Nathan Borror’s basic apps examples

def comment_edit(request, object_id, template_name='comments/edit.html'):
    comment = get_object_or_404(Comment, pk=object_id, user=request.user)
    # ...
    return render(request, template_name, {
        'form': form,
        'comment': comment,
    })

But I’ve also seen

    return render_to_response(template_name, my_data_dictionary,
              context_instance=RequestContext(request))

And

    return direct_to_template(request, template_name, my_data_dictionary)

Whats the difference, what to use in any particular situation?

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/topics/http/shortcuts/#render

render(request, template[, dictionary][, context_instance][, content_type][, status][, current_app])

render() is a brand spanking new shortcut for render_to_response in 1.3 that will automatically use RequestContext that I will most definitely be using from now on.

2020 EDIT: It should be noted that render_to_response() was removed in Django 3.0

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/topics/http/shortcuts/#render-to-response

render_to_response(template[, dictionary][, context_instance][, mimetype])¶

render_to_response is your standard render function used in the tutorials and such. To use RequestContext you’d have to specify context_instance=RequestContext(request)

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/ref/generic-views/#django-views-generic-simple-direct-to-template

direct_to_template is a generic view that I use in my views (as opposed to in my urls) because like the new render() function, it automatically uses RequestContext and all its context_processors.

But direct_to_template should be avoided as function based generic views are deprecated. Either use render or an actual class, see https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.3/topics/generic-views-migration/

I’m happy I haven’t typed RequestContext in a long, long time.

Rephrasing Yuri, Fábio, and Frosts answers for the Django noob (i.e. me) – almost certainly a simplification, but a good starting point?

• render_to_response() is the “original”, but requires you putting context_instance=RequestContext(request) in nearly all the time, a PITA.

• direct_to_template() is designed to be used just in urls.py without a view defined in views.py but it can be used in views.py to avoid having to type RequestContext

• render() is a shortcut for render_to_response() that automatically supplies context_instance=Request…. Its available in the django development version (1.2.1) but many have created their own shortcuts such as this one, this one or the one that threw me initially, Nathans basic.tools.shortcuts.py

Render is

def render(request, *args, **kwargs):
    """ Simple wrapper for render_to_response. """
    kwargs['context_instance'] = RequestContext(request)
    return render_to_response(*args, **kwargs)

So there is really no difference between render_to_response except it wraps your context making the template pre-processors work.

Direct to template is a generic view.

There is really no sense in using it here because there is overhead over render_to_response in the form of view function.

From django docs:

render() is the same as a call to render_to_response() with a context_instance argument that that forces the use of a RequestContext.

direct_to_template is something different. It’s a generic view that uses a data dictionary to render the html without the need of the views.py, you use it in urls.py. Docs here

Just one note I could not find in the answers above. In this code:

context_instance = RequestContext(request)
return render_to_response(template_name, user_context, context_instance)

What the third parameter context_instance actually does? Being RequestContext it sets up some basic context which is then added to user_context. So the template gets this extended context. What variables are added is given by TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS in settings.py. For instance django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth adds variable user and variable perm which are then accessible in the template.