I have evaluated few frameworks for python and based on that I am trying to compare the three popular web-development frameworks; Django, Pyramid and Flask"
With python we can do a lot with just a few lines of
Python code. However, if we are thinking of building a complex full-fetched web
application in Python from scratch, we might be doing it wrong.
There are already some great Python
frameworks present in the modern-day that we can use for web development. They
are fast, refined and backed by thousands of developers.
Here, we are explaining why Python
frameworks are a great choice for web development — where to start with them
and how. Also, we are introducing to Python libraries and helper tools that
will help we throughout the web development process.
Framework?
A web framework is nothing but a
collection of packages and modules that allows easier development of websites.
It handles all low-level communication within the system and hides it from we
to make no issues for performing common tasks for the development.
The line where it draws the line between
which to hide and which to not, depends on the individual framework itself
(more on this later).
Choosing Python web framework?
we can always create a web
application from scratch, but there are various reasons we would not want to.
Below are the top five reasons why we should choose Python framework over our
own.
Used and trusted by many large companies
Popular Python frameworks like
Pyramid and Django are used by companies like Bitbucket, Pinterest, Instagram
and Dropbox in their web application development. So, it is safe to say these
frameworks are able to handle almost everything we throw at them.
Hides complicated low-level details
As stated above, web frameworks are
meant to hide and handle all low-level details so that we as a developer, do
not have to dig deep into how everything works when we are developing a web-enabled
application.
Saves our valuable time
The frameworks have been built
investing thousands of developer and testing hours. Building on top of it saves
our valuable time. Especially, when we are developing a simple prototype of a website
or are closer to a deadline, using web frameworks can turn out to be a life
safer.
Security
One of the most important advantages
of using a web framework as opposed to building something on our own is
handling the security of our website. Since web frameworks have been used and
backed by thousands, it inherently handles security, preventing any misuse of the
web application.
Efficient and scalable system
Good frameworks are built ensuring
scalability from the very beginning of the development process. So, whenever we
are planning to scale our website by adding a new component or using a new
database, web frameworks are more likely to scale better than what we come up
with when building from scratch.
Fun fact: Disqus, a popular blog
comment hosting service, has more than eight billion page views and 45K request
per second through Python framework Django.
Which framework to choose?
There are tons of Python web
frameworks, and every framework has their own strengths and weaknesses. Thus,
it is necessary to evaluate our project requirements and pick one the best one
from the collection.
Below are the three most popular web
frameworks in Python.
Django
Django is the most popular Python web
framework and is aimed mostly at larger applications. It takes a
“batteries-included” approach and contains everything needed for web
development bundled with the framework itself. So, we do not have to handle
things like database administration, templating, routing, authentication and so
on. With fairly less code, we can create great applications with Django.
If we are building a mid-high ranged
web applicants and are quite comfortable with Python, we should go for Django.
Pyramid
The Pyramid is the most flexible
Python web framework and just like Django, it is aimed at mid-high scale
applications.
If we think Django brings too much
bloat to our web application, use Pyramid. It does not force we to use a single
solution for a task, but rather gives we a pluggable system to plug-in
according to our project requirements.
we do have the basic web development
capabilities like routing and authentication, but that is about it. So, if we
want to connect to a database for storage, we ought to do that werself using
external libraries.
Flask
Flask is the newest among the others. Unlike
Pyramid and Django, Flask is a micro-framework and is best suited for
small-scale applications.
Even if it is new, Flask has
integrated great features of other frameworks. It includes features like unit
testing and built-in development server that enable us to create reliable and
efficient web applications.
For a learner pyramid or flask will be best as it start with simple projects and as you progress you can keep intrgrating different plug in like chemeleon, jinga mako etc. The django framework involves everything even if you want to make two page project. But for larger application its the best. Flask is also suitable for small projects and its still growing..
Things to know when we start with Python frameworks
Learn Python and HTML
Before we start with the frameworks,
it is the best to learn Python from the ground up. When we are comfortable with
the language and its power, we will have a strong understanding of the
fundamentals required for our project.
Equally important knowledge to have
is the knowledge of HTML and JS. Modern web development is just not possible
without them.
Follow getting started guide carefully and grasp their basic architectural knowledge
Since frameworks like Django are
based on MVC and Flask uses Jinja2 templating engine, it is always better to
how these architectures actually work.
Create simple applications
When starting out, do not rush into
creating full-fledged heavy web applications. Start with something simple like
a todo list.
This teaches we how CRUD
functionalities and basic HTTP requests are handled by the framework. Also, we
will have a good grasp on how to get started with the framework itself.
This advice is equally applicable to
advanced programmers.
Learn to debug
Exceptions and bugs are programmer’s
best friends. Learn to configure and use the debugging capabilities of the
frameworks. Understanding the exceptions and how a code behaves in certain
cases will take we a long way.
Use IDE’s like PyCharm that makes our
life a lot easier with its smart intellisense, debugging capabilities and code
optimisation tips.
Integrate third-party modules
The whole point of using a web
framework is not to repeat what others have already achieved better, and
focusing on the output instead.
Most of the utilities we need for
database connection (SQLAlchemy), scientific computations (SciPy) and web
scraping (BeautifulSoup) are already implemented and used by many, do not waste
time recreating the wheel. web framework powers itself with the use of external
libraries. With them, our development project can catch serious speed.
However, before we go for external
integration, it is better to familiarise werself with Python’s core modules
first. Python’s utility functions and object methods support an array of
features.
Manipulations like string encoding,
filtering and mapping can be achieved through Python’s internal tools itself.
Python with its powerful web
framework catalogue is a great choice for web development and will bring we up
to speed with today’s modern needs.
Whichever framework we choose, there
is no doubt that there is a great advantage in using a web framework than
building a web application from scratch. we can also consider that investing our
time in learning and using Python web framework, in turn, can save our time,
money and production effort.
