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Introduction to Flask

Welcome to the world of Flask and full-stack development! This guide will introduce you to essential concepts and tools that form the backbone of modern web applications.

Flask helps build a web application which can lead to APIs, and Full-Stack Development, this is ideal for CollegeBoard CPTs.

Flask Framework

Flask is a lightweight and versatile web framework for Python. It allows you to quickly build web applications, APIs, and more with minimal boilerplate code. Flask’s simplicity and flexibility make it a popular choice for both beginners and experienced developers.

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)

APIs are the backbone of modern web development, enabling applications to communicate and interact with each other. In Flask, APIs are commonly used to expose data and functionality to external systems or client-side applications.

Full-Stack Development

Full-stack development involves working on both the front-end (client-side) and back-end (server-side) parts of web applications. It encompasses everything from designing user interfaces to building server logic and database interactions.

Key Concepts to Explore

  • CRUD Functions: Learn how to Create, Read, Update, and Delete data within your Flask applications. This forms the basis of interacting with databases and managing application state.

  • JWT Tokens: JSON Web Tokens (JWT) are a secure way to transmit information between parties as a JSON object. They are commonly used for authentication and authorization in web applications.

  • Agile Methodology: Agile is a project management approach that emphasizes iterative development, collaboration, and flexibility. It’s widely used in software development to adapt to changing requirements and deliver value quickly.

Getting Started with Your Project

  1. Setup Flask Environment: Download VS Code and install dependencies, including flask.

  2. Explore CRUD Operations: Create a simple database-driven application by forking/generating a template using the teacher’s backend. Use Flask Restful API to add CRUD operations. Test with Postman.

  3. Implement JWT Authentication: Secure your Flask application using JWT tokens for user authentication and authorization.

  4. Adopt Agile Practices: Begin your project with an Agile mindset, breaking down tasks into manageable iterations, establishing roles for teammates, being flexible and understanding, etc.

Explore the navbar and experiment with creating users, logging in, profile creating, etc. Here are some sample questions to guide you: Can you create the same user twice? Do you get an error, and if so, what type of error do you get? Can you see all the users if you are logged in as a regular user, or do you need to be an admin? By experimenting and taking a look at the code, you can be prepared to start your trimester project, and use this knowledge in your Collegeboard Create Performance Task.

Happy coding!