How Django Helps You Land a Software Tester Job Faster

# Python 3.10+ recommended
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate        # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install django djangorestframework pytest pytest-django requests

django-admin startproject bugtracker .
python manage.py startapp tickets

# After writing the model (next section)
python manage.py makemigrations tickets
python manage.py migrate
python manage.py createsuperuser   # create a qa_user for testing
python manage.py runserver

# bugtracker/settings.py — add to INSTALLED_APPS
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    # ...default Django apps...
    "rest_framework",
    "tickets",
]

# Allow basic auth so API tools like curl and Postman can log in locally
REST_FRAMEWORK = {
    "DEFAULT_AUTHENTICATION_CLASSES": [
        "rest_framework.authentication.BasicAuthentication",
        "rest_framework.authentication.SessionAuthentication",
    ],
}

# tickets/models.py
from django.db import models


class Ticket(models.Model):
    PRIORITIES = [("low", "Low"), ("medium", "Medium"), ("high", "High")]

    title = models.CharField(max_length=120)
    priority = models.CharField(max_length=10, choices=PRIORITIES, default="medium")
    is_closed = models.BooleanField(default=False)
    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)

    def __str__(self):
        return self.title


# tickets/serializers.py
from rest_framework import serializers
from .models import Ticket


class TicketSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
    class Meta:
        model = Ticket
        fields = ["id", "title", "priority", "is_closed", "created_at"]
        read_only_fields = ["id", "created_at"]

    def validate_title(self, value):
        if len(value.strip()) < 5:
            raise serializers.ValidationError("Title must be at least 5 characters.")
        return value

# tickets/views.py
from rest_framework import viewsets
from rest_framework.permissions import IsAuthenticatedOrReadOnly
from .models import Ticket
from .serializers import TicketSerializer


class TicketViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
    queryset = Ticket.objects.order_by("-created_at")
    serializer_class = TicketSerializer
    permission_classes = [IsAuthenticatedOrReadOnly]


# bugtracker/urls.py
from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import include, path
from rest_framework.routers import DefaultRouter
from tickets.views import TicketViewSet

router = DefaultRouter()
router.register("tickets", TicketViewSet)

urlpatterns = [
    path("admin/", admin.site.urls),
    path("api/", include(router.urls)),
]

# Anonymous create -> expect 401
curl -i -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/tickets/ \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"title":"Login button broken"}'

# Short title -> expect 400
curl -u qa_user:YOUR_PASSWORD -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/tickets/ \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"title":"x"}'
# {"title":["Title must be at least 5 characters."]}

# Invalid priority -> expect 400
curl -u qa_user:YOUR_PASSWORD -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/tickets/ \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"title":"Checkout fails","priority":"urgent"}'
# {"priority":["\"urgent\" is not a valid choice."]}

# pytest.ini (project root)
# [pytest]
# DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE = bugtracker.settings

import pytest
from django.contrib.auth.models import User
from rest_framework.test import APIClient

URL = "/api/tickets/"


@pytest.fixture
def auth_client(db):
    user = User.objects.create_user("tester", password="pass12345")
    c = APIClient()
    c.force_authenticate(user=user)
    return c


@pytest.mark.django_db
def test_anonymous_cannot_create():
    r = APIClient().post(URL, {"title": "Login button broken"}, format="json")
    assert r.status_code in (401, 403)


@pytest.mark.parametrize("title", ["", "abc", "    "])
def test_short_title_rejected(auth_client, title):
    r = auth_client.post(URL, {"title": title}, format="json")
    assert r.status_code == 400
    assert "title" in r.json()


def test_create_ticket(auth_client):
    r = auth_client.post(URL, {"title": "Login button broken", "priority": "high"}, format="json")
    assert r.status_code == 201
    assert r.json()["is_closed"] is False

TEST CASE SHEET — Ticket Tracker API

ID     Title                         Pre-condition   Steps / Input                     Expected            Result
-----  ----------------------------  --------------  --------------------------------  ------------------  ------
TC-01  List tickets anonymously      none            GET /api/tickets/                 200, JSON list      Pass
TC-02  Create without login          none            POST title="Login bug"            401                 Pass
TC-03  Title 4 chars (below min)     logged in       POST title="abcd"                 400 title error     Pass
TC-04  Title 5 chars (at min)        logged in       POST title="abcde"                201                 Pass
TC-05  Invalid priority              logged in       POST priority="urgent"            400 priority error  Pass
TC-06  Close a ticket                ticket exists   PATCH is_closed=true              200, is_closed true Pass
TC-07  Read deleted ticket           ticket deleted  GET /api/tickets/{id}/            404                 Pass
TC-08  Title over 120 chars          logged in       POST 121-char title               400                 ____

BUG REPORT — requirement gap found during exploratory testing

ID          : BUG-03
Title       : Closed ticket can still be edited and reopened via PATCH
Environment : Local, Django + DRF, SQLite, commit abc1234
Severity    : Medium     Priority: Medium
Steps       : 1. Log in as qa_user
              2. PATCH /api/tickets/{id}/ with {"is_closed": true}
              3. PATCH same ticket with {"title": "Changed after close"}
Expected    : Clarify rule - should closed tickets be locked?
Actual      : 200 OK, title changed on a closed ticket
Evidence    : curl commands + full responses pasted below
Notes       : No rule in the spec covers this; raised as a question
              for the product owner, not as a confirmed defect

// Tip: write the report BEFORE you look at the code.
// Then read the view and serializer and note why it happens.

RESUME PROJECT LINE (pick one, keep it truthful)

- Built and tested a Django REST API (ticket tracker); wrote 8+ API test
  cases using boundary value and equivalence techniques, automated them
  with pytest, and documented defects in a structured bug report format.

- Performed manual and automated API testing (curl, Postman, pytest,
  requests) on a self-built Django app; covered auth, validation and
  state-transition scenarios. GitHub: github.com/<you>/ticket-api-tests

README SECTIONS
1. What the app does (3 lines)
2. How to run it and run the tests
3. Test approach and techniques used
4. Test case sheet link
5. Bugs found and what changed
6. What I would test next (performance, security, UI)