In this chapter, we will go over several important bits and pieces that will help you to better understand and utilize Django. We will provide an overview of how to use the Django shell to experiment with the code, before writing it in the files. You will be introduced to monkey patching, also known as guerrilla patching, which is a powerful feature of dynamic languages, such as Python and Ruby. Full-text search capabilities will be revealed, and you will learn how to debug your code and check its performance. Then, you will learn how to access the currently logged-in user (and other request parameters) from any module. Also, you will learn how to handle signals and create system checks. Get ready for an interesting programming experience!