Flask vs Django

Django is the most popular Python web framework, but there are a number of competitors. This presentation is about one of them: Flask, a microframework that has a number of advantages over Django, and is a much better choice for smaller, simpler websites.

Transcript

1. David Baumgold // @singingwol!oy
   

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4. I don’t need to
   CROSS THE ALPS
   I just need a
   SIMPLE WEBSITE!
   Sheesh.
   

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6. EXTENSIONS!
   EXTENSIONS!
   

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7. EXTENSIONS!
   EXTENSIONS!
   Sorry, getting ahead
   of myself there...
   

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8. SIMPLE
   Flask gives you three main things:
   URL Routing
   Templates
   Error handling & debugger
   mysite.com/foo
   goes to foo_view()
   powered by Jinja2!
   is that four things? OK, fine, four main things.
   

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9. Example Time!
   

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10. from flask import Flask
    app = Flask(__name__)
    @app.route("/")
    def hello():
    return "Hello World!"
    if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run()
    $ pip install Flask
    $ python hello.py
    * Running on http://localhost:5000/
    A full Flask application:
    Running it:
    

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11. from flask import render_template
    @app.route('/hello/')
    @app.route('/hello/')
    def hello(name=None):
    return render_template('hello.html', name=name)
    
    Hello from Flask
    {% if name %}
    Hello {{ name }}!
    {% else %}
    Hello World!
    {% endif %}
    Templates!
    

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13. Demo Time!
    

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14. HOORAY! NOW I
    CAN SHOW OFF MY
    CAT PICTURES!
    But now I want to add
    a rating system and a guestbook!
    I CAN HAZ
    DATABASE?
    

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15. EXTENSIONS!
    EXTENSIONS!
    

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17. NEED SOMETHING WEBSCALE?
    or just use the database's Python module directly
    

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18. WHAT ELSE
    YA GOT
    

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19. Admin interface? Check. Flask-Admin
    Form management? Check.
    

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20. Caching?
    Email?
    OAuth?
    REST APIs?
    Markdown?
    I wrote that last one!
    

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21. OTHER COOL THINGS
    (that I don't really have time to talk about right now)
    thread-local
    response objects
    session management
    blueprints
    redirect() and
    abort() functions
    real WSGI
    support
    static file
    optimizations
    unit test support message flashing
    THESE ARE ALL BUILT-IN
    

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22. 1900 LINES
    of Python code
    250+ PAGES
    of documentation
    Flask is documented just as well as Django,
    and that documentation is better organized
    

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24. WRAP-UP
    DJANGO is LARGE and MONOLITHIC
    FLASK is SMALL and EXTENSIBLE
    difficult to change/replace built-in components
    steep learning curve
    little flexibility
    add components/complexity as necessary
    learn as you go
    write your app the way you want
    

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25. ANY QUESTIONS?
    flask.pocoo.org
    David Baumgold // @singingwol!oy
    

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