What is Flask?
Flask is a lightweight WSGI web application framework written in Python. It is designed to be simple and easy to use, yet powerful enough to handle complex web development tasks. Flask is known for its flexibility, making it a popular choice among developers for building web applications.
Getting Started with Flask
To start using Flask for web development, you first need to install it using pip. You can create a virtual environment and install Flask by running the following commands in your terminal:
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pip install flask
Once Flask is installed, you can create a new Flask application by creating a new Python file and importing the Flask class from the flask module. You then create an instance of the Flask class, passing in the name of your module or package as the constructor argument.
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from flask import Flask
app = Flask(__name__)
Creating Routes in Flask
In Flask, a route is a URL pattern that the application uses to match against incoming requests and trigger the associated view function. You can create routes in Flask by using the route decorator, which maps a URL to a view function. Here’s an example of defining a simple route in Flask:
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@app.route('/')
def index():
return 'Hello, World!'
In the code snippet above, we define a route for the root URL (/) that calls the index function and returns a simple string response.
Running a Flask Application
To run a Flask application, you can simply use the run method on your app instance. By default, the Flask development server runs on http://127.0.0.1:5000/, allowing you to access your application in a web browser. You can start your Flask application by running the following code:
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if __name__ == '__main__':
app.run()
Conclusion
In conclusion, Flask is a powerful Python web framework that offers simplicity and flexibility for web development. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can get started with Flask and begin building web applications in Python. Flask is compatible with Python versions 2.7 and 3.5 or higher, making it a versatile choice for developers. Start exploring Flask today and unlock the potential of web development with Python!