Django - what is the difference between render(), render_to_response() and direct_to_template()?

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.

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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)

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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.