How do the FastAPI and Django frameworks differ in the context of web application development?

FastAPI and Django are popular frameworks for web development in Python, but they have different approaches and areas of application:

• Django: is a full-featured framework with a large set of built-in tools (ORM, admin panel, authentication, etc.). It is suitable for creating complex, full-fledged web applications with a classic MVC architecture.

• FastAPI: is focused on creating high-performance APIs using modern Python features (async/await, typing). It is lighter and faster than Django and is ideal for microservices and applications where speed and scalability are important.

Example:

# FastAPI example of a simple API
from fastapi import FastAPI

app = FastAPI()

@app.get("/items/{item_id}")
async def read_item(item_id: int):
    return {"item_id": item_id}

In Django, similar functionality requires more settings and code.

Summary: Django is for complex projects with rich functionality, FastAPI is for fast, lightweight APIs and microservices.