Flask is a lightweight and versatile web framework for Python that allows developers to easily build web applications. With its simplicity and flexibility, Flask has become a popular choice for creating websites and web services. In this article, we will explore how to use Flask to build a website from scratch.

Setting Up Flask

To get started with Flask, you first need to install it using pip, the Python package manager. You can do this by running the following command in your terminal:

```

pip install Flask

Once Flask is installed, you can create a new Python file for your website. In this file, you will import the Flask module and create an instance of the Flask class, like so:

```python

from flask import Flask

app = Flask(__name__)

Creating Routes

In Flask, routes are used to map URLs to functions that handle the requests. You can define routes by using the `@app.route()` decorator. For example, the following code defines a route that handles requests to the root URL ("/") of the website:

@app.route('/')

def home():

return 'Hello, World!'

You can also pass parameters to routes to make them dynamic. For instance, the following route takes a username as a parameter and displays a personalized greeting:

@app.route('/')

def greet_user(username):

return f'Hello, {username}!'

Rendering Templates

Flask allows you to render HTML templates to create dynamic web pages. You can use the `render_template()` function to render a template file. First, you need to create a `templates` folder in your project directory and add an HTML file, such as `index.html`.

Here is an example of how to render the `index.html` template in a route:

from flask import render_template

return render_template('index.html')

In the `index.html` file, you can include dynamic content using template variables. For example, you can pass a variable to the template like so:

```html

Hello, {{ username }}!

Running the Flask App

To run your Flask app, you can simply call the `run()` method on your Flask instance. By default, the app will run on ``. You can specify a different host and port by passing arguments to the `run()` method.

Here is an example of how to run your Flask app:

if __name__ == '__main__':

app.run()

Conclusion

In this article, we have covered the basics of building a website using Flask. By creating routes, rendering templates, and running the Flask app, you can easily create a dynamic and interactive website. Flask's simplicity and flexibility make it a great choice for web development projects.

Overall, Flask provides a powerful yet lightweight framework for building web applications. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, Flask offers a straightforward way to create websites and web services. With its rich ecosystem of extensions and libraries, Flask is a versatile tool for building modern web applications.