I visit my site this morning and everything has changed.  The side menu has been complete hosed, and my pages are out of order.

After a bit of digging I realise that Sites have been upgraded.  Yippee!  I have more control over the styling of the pages.   That's good.  I can't find where the properties for my existing pages are.  That's bad.

I admit it, I hate change.  Maybe I'll get used to it in a few months time.  Then they will probably change it again.  Sigh.

Look what I found:  Django Book

Just what I need.

Of all my tests I found that the Django App Engine Patch was the best way to get an application up and running quickly on Google Apps.  I have documented the steps I went through to actually get it working. 

Coming from a PHP environment to Django is like a revelation.  So many things that were just so hard in PHP are so easy in Python/Django.  I think they have a major convert on their hands.

1. Django with App Engine Patch: setting up the first sample project
2. Uploading a Django Project: shows how to upload the sample project to the app engine server
3. Hello World:  because it is obligatory
4. Playing Around With URLs, and also getting the sample app ready for deployment
5. Using the Django templates
6. Adding Navigation: using the django-tabs application to handle navigation lists
7. Stylesheets:  making the sample app pretty
8. Its About Time: changing the time zone from within the application
   
9. Guestbook Tutorial on App Engine Patch:  shows how to alter the sample project so it includes the guestbook application
   

This site is like a giant scratch pad for me.  If you have somehow stumbled on the site you will notice that it is half baked, disorganised and probably inaccurate.  That is because it isn't here for you, it's here for me.  Basically, I have a horrible memory and need to record the steps I take when working so I can remember what I did in a week's time.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I mean in an hour's time.

If you find anything worthwhile on the site then well and good.  Otherwise search elsewhere.

My current obsession is getting Google App Engine working for me.  I have a couple of sites I would like hosted there, but I'm still cutting my teeth on Python and Django.  I don't know if I'll ever get it working to my satisfaction. 

Because I my first love was php I tried using the PHP on the App Engine Java SKD.  I only got so far before I got caught on trying to setup the database models.  Because I don't have the experience to do this in Python/Django, and so far the documentation for PHP on App Engine is so sparse I gave up on that in disgust.

Next I tried the Python App Engine Django Helper.  I only got so far with that before again I was faced with pages of incomprehensible python error messages and little hope of understanding what little there is in the way of documentation.

I have now been able to create and upload a test site using the Django App-Engine-Patch (couldn't you think of a more catchy name, guys?), and am actually now making some progress.  I am starting to get a good feeling about this one.

My test site is:

http://www.shire-biz.com