As described throughout this chapter, the switch from using the Django development server to a production server such as Apache with mod_wsgi may run into various snags along the way. Some are easily overcome, others may require more effort. It is often inconvenient to encounter such difficulties late in the development cycle, when there is typically very little time available for making code changes. One way to make the transition smoother is to use a production server configuration during development. This is an idea worth some serious consideration.
One possible objection to using a production server (namely Apache with mod_wsgi) during development is that installing and properly configuring Apache is difficult. Asking individual developers to do this is asking too much of them. Installation, however, is not generally difficult—and most development machines today are easily capable of running Apache without causing any performance impact for other...