Django Bootstrap3

26.1 · active · verified Thu Apr 16

django-bootstrap3 is a Python library that integrates Bootstrap version 3 into Django projects. It provides template tags and filters to render forms, messages, and other Bootstrap components easily within Django templates. The current version is 26.1, and it maintains a steady release cadence.

Common errors

```
django.template.exceptions.TemplateSyntaxError: 'bootstrap3' is not a registered tag library, or is not available. Did you go and assign it a name and not use it?
```
cause The `bootstrap3` template tag library was not explicitly loaded in the template.

fix Add `{% load bootstrap3 %}` as the very first line of your Django template file.
```
django.core.exceptions.ImproperlyConfigured: The app 'bootstrap3' must be in INSTALLED_APPS.
```
cause The `bootstrap3` application is not included in your Django project's `INSTALLED_APPS` setting.

fix Open your `settings.py` file and add `'bootstrap3'` to your `INSTALLED_APPS` list.
```
My Django form fields are not rendered with Bootstrap 3 styles, or form errors are not displayed correctly.
```
cause Either Bootstrap 3 CSS/JavaScript is not loaded, or the Django form is not being rendered using the `django-bootstrap3` template tags.

fix Ensure `{% bootstrap_css %}` and `{% bootstrap_javascript %}` are present in your template's `<head>`. Use `{% bootstrap_form form %}` to render the entire form, or `{% bootstrap_field field %}` for individual fields, where `form` is your Django form instance.

Warnings

breaking This library is exclusively for Bootstrap 3, which is an end-of-life (EOL) framework and no longer receives official updates or security patches. Using it in new projects or expecting compatibility with modern Bootstrap versions (4 or 5) is highly discouraged and will lead to broken layouts and potential security vulnerabilities.
Fix: For new projects or projects requiring modern Bootstrap features, use `django-bootstrap4` or `django-bootstrap5` instead. If you must use Bootstrap 3, be fully aware of its EOL status and associated risks.
gotcha Forgetting to add `'bootstrap3'` to your `INSTALLED_APPS` in `settings.py` will prevent the library's template tags from being recognized by Django, leading to `ImproperlyConfigured` errors.
Fix: Ensure `INSTALLED_APPS` in your `settings.py` includes `'bootstrap3'`: `INSTALLED_APPS = ['...', 'bootstrap3', '...']`.
gotcha Omitting `{% load bootstrap3 %}` at the beginning of your Django template will cause `TemplateSyntaxError` for all `bootstrap3`-related tags, as the tag library won't be available.
Fix: Always place `{% load bootstrap3 %}` as the very first line in any Django template that uses `django-bootstrap3` tags.
gotcha If your forms or other components are not displaying with Bootstrap 3 styles, you might be missing `{% bootstrap_css %}` and/or `{% bootstrap_javascript %}` in your template's `<head>` section, or static files are not served correctly in production.
Fix: Include `{% bootstrap_css %}` and `{% bootstrap_javascript %}` in the `<head>` of your base template. For production, ensure `python manage.py collectstatic` has been run and static files are served.

Install

pip install django-bootstrap3 Install stable version

Imports

add_css_classes
```
from bootstrap3.utils import add_css_classes
```
A utility function for programmatically adding CSS classes to HTML elements, though often handled via template tags.
render_field
```
from bootstrap3.forms import render_field
```
Allows for programmatic rendering of Django form fields using Bootstrap 3 styling, complementing the template tag usage.

Quickstart

To use `django-bootstrap3`, first install it with `pip install django-bootstrap3`. Then, add `'bootstrap3'` to your `INSTALLED_APPS` in `settings.py`. In any Django template where you want to use Bootstrap 3, include `{% load bootstrap3 %}` at the top, and then use tags like `{% bootstrap_css %}`, `{% bootstrap_javascript %}`, `{% bootstrap_messages %}`, and `{% bootstrap_form form %}`. This example demonstrates rendering a form passed as `form` in the template context.

{% load bootstrap3 %}
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Django Bootstrap3 Example</title>
    {% bootstrap_css %}
    {% bootstrap_javascript %}
    <style>
        .container { margin-top: 20px; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container">
        <h1>Contact Us</h1>
        {% bootstrap_messages %}
        <form action="" method="post" class="form">
            {% csrf_token %}
            {% bootstrap_form form layout='horizontal' %}
            {% buttons submit='Submit' %}
                <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">
                    <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-envelope"></span> Submit
                </button>
            {% endbuttons %}
        </form>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

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