Integrating Flask with Streamlit: A Comprehensive Guide
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Flask and Streamlit
Building a web application using Flask for the backend and Streamlit for the frontend is a structured process that can be broken down into several key steps. Below is a comprehensive guide to help you kickstart your project:
- Setting Up the Development Environment
- Choose and set up a code editor or IDE, such as Visual Studio Code or PyCharm.
- Establish a virtual environment to keep your project dependencies organized. You can use either venv or conda for this purpose.
- Within your virtual environment, install Flask and Streamlit by executing pip install flask streamlit.
- Creating the Project Structure
- Set up a new directory for your project and navigate to it using your terminal.
Section 1.1: Developing the Flask Backend
- Generate a new file named app.py for your Flask application.
- Import Flask and instantiate the application:
from flask import Flask
app = Flask(__name__)
- Set up a basic route to act as an API endpoint:
@app.route('/api/data')
def get_data():
return {'data': 'Hello from Flask!'}
- Include the main execution point for your Flask app:
if __name__ == '__main__':
app.run(debug=True)
Subsection 1.1.1: Crafting the Streamlit Frontend
- Create a new file named frontend.py for your Streamlit application.
- Import Streamlit along with any other necessary libraries:
import streamlit as st
import requests
- Retrieve data from the Flask API and display it using Streamlit:
def main():
st.title('Streamlit Frontend for Flask API')
response = requests.get('http://localhost:5000/api/data')
data = response.json()
st.write(f"Data from Flask API: {data['data']}")
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
Section 1.2: Running the Applications
- In one terminal, navigate to your project folder and run the Flask application:
python app.py
Your Flask app should now be accessible at http://localhost:5000.
- In a separate terminal, go to your project folder and launch the Streamlit application:
streamlit run frontend.py
Your Streamlit app will be available at http://localhost:8501.
Testing the Application
Open the Streamlit app in your web browser to see the data retrieved from the Flask API. From here, you can begin developing more intricate features and routes by enhancing both your Flask backend and Streamlit frontend.
Chapter 2: Video Resources
This video, titled "Python Advanced 8/30: How to mix Streamlit apps with Flask apps," provides insights into integrating these technologies effectively.
In this video, "Deploy Streamlit Flask App from Colab using Remoteit (ngrok alternative)," you will learn how to deploy your applications seamlessly.
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