Python Framework: Definition, Types, and Best Ones to Use

In today’s world, Python is one of the most widely used languages. The guy who created this language is Guido Van Rossum. Python 0.9.0 was released in 1991. It’s a dynamically typed, interpreted, object-oriented language that makes writing code simple and logical. Python has libraries and frameworks for almost every technical domain imaginable.

Moreover, there are several robust Python compilersAMP and IDEs that make development with the popular programming language easy and efficient. The Python programming language offers a wide range of applications in terms of implementation.

Because web development is one of the major applications of Python, it’s critical to know which Python framework will best fit your needs. Before we go into discussing the best Python frameworks and how they are used, let’s first know what a framework is.

What is a Python Framework?

A framework consists of a number of modules or packages. Using Python frameworks reduces development time by providing a prebuilt implementation of redundant tasks. This means that developers don’t have to worry about common aspects like protocols, sockets, and so on, and can instead focus on developing application logic.

Python frameworks simplify the execution of typical solutions, allowing users to concentrate on the application logic rather than the basic routine activities. Each framework has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, therefore the framework that is chosen is entirely dependent on the project needs as well as the preferences of the developer or development team.

Frameworks have a few key advantages: they are open-source, safe, well-documented, and efficient. The following are some of the features found in web framework-based applications:

• Form Handling and Validation: A webpage’s most frequent operation is to take user input in a form and then execute validations on it.
• ORM Support: Applications developed using frameworks allow database connection using ORM.
• Output Formats with a Template Engine: A template engine enables programmers to create desired content types such as HTML, XML, and JSON.
• Security: Framework-based apps provide web security.
• Session Storage Management: Apps developed using frameworks offer the feature of session storage and retrieval. This means once the page session is over, all the data stored in session storage gets deleted.
• URL Routing: Routing is the process of directly connecting a URL to the code that makes a web page.

Why Use Python Frameworks?

The flexibility of a framework over a library is its primary benefit. They’re extensible, and they give us the tools we need to expand their capabilities. While using a library one must understand how to use each feature in order to execute specific tasks.

However, because of the systematic control of the flow, frameworks make it quite simple. All we have to do now is guide our operations by utilizing one of the framework’s features.

Also, Python frameworks enable code reuse for basic HTTP activities much easier. They organize the projects in such a way that other developers who are familiar with the framework may easily maintain and develop the program. In the next section, we will see different types of Python frameworks.

Types of Python Framework

Python frameworks come in a trio of flavors. Full-stack frameworks, micro frameworks, and asynchronous frameworks are the three main categories of frameworks available in Python. Let’s have a look at what each of these categories has to offer:

1. Full-Stack Framework: This type of Python framework, as the name implies, offers a complete web development solution, including form generators, form validation, and template layouts, among other things. Any application can benefit from this framework.
2. Micro Framework: It’s a simple, lightweight framework with no additional functionality such as a data abstraction layer or form validation. To gain extra features and functionalities, developers must spend a significant amount of time manually writing code. For small applications, this is really beneficial.
3. Asynchronous Framework: This framework has recently gained popularity, and it works with the asyncio library. This type of Python framework is mostly used to handle large numbers of concurrent connections.

Best Python Frameworks

In this section, we will look into some of the top python frameworks available in the market starting with the de facto best Python framework Django:

1) Django

Developer – Adrian Holovaty and Simon Willison (original), Django Software Foundation (present)

Type – Full-stack framework

Since – July 2005

Django is a full-stack Python framework that comes with all of the functionality you’ll need out of the box. It is a free and open-source framework. It adheres to the DRY concept, which stands for “Don’t Repeat Yourself.”

Django’s ORM mappers are used to connect objects to a database. An ORM, or object-relational mapper, is a code library that uses the object-oriented paradigm to enable you to manage data from a database. Django uses PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle as its primary databases. It can also use third-party drivers to connect to other databases.

Key Features of Django

• It uses the URL Routing feature.
• The Python framework supports authentication.
• Django has a functionality that allows you to migrate your database structure.
• The most crucial aspect of this Python framework is security. Django is more secure than other leading Python frameworks.

2) Bottle

Developer – Marcel Hellkamp

Type – Micro web framework

Since – 2009

This framework is mostly used to construct APIs and is excellent for tiny apps. It is one of the most popular Python web frameworks since it requires no further dependencies than the standard python library to build an application; programmers can just work with hardware. It is an MVC micro web framework, which creates a single source file.

Key Features of Bottle

• It has an HTTP server built-in.
• This framework allows you to access form data, cookies, file uploads, and other HTTP metadata.
• It comes with a Request-Dispatching route.

3) Flask

Developer – Armin Ronacher

Type – Micro web framework

Since – April 2010

Flask is a popular lightweight and micro web framework for developing applications using Python. It is more versatile thanks to its modular design. Developers may create reliable web apps using this framework, and the establishment of such applications makes it simple to employ any form of extension.

Key Features of Flask

• It comes with a built-in debugger.
• Unit testing is included in the design.
• The micro web framework is Unicode-based.
• The jinja2 template and the Werkzeug WSGI toolkit come in handy.
• Google App Engine compatibility is a plus.
• For the purpose of permitting client-side sessions, Cookies are supported by Flask.

4) Web2Py

Developer – Massimo Di Pierro

Type – Full-stack framework

Since – September 2007

It’s a full-stack framework that is scalable, open-source and supports all operating systems. Web2Py provides a web-based IDE that includes all of the essential elements of an IDE, such as a debugger, code editor, and one-click deployment. Python 3 is not supported though.

Key Features of Web2Py

• Backward compatibility ensures that advancement is possible without severing relationships with prior versions.
• If something goes wrong with the framework, the ticket system is in place, and a ticket is delivered to the user.
• It works on any platform.
• Its installation and settings have no prerequisites.
• Multiple protocols are readable.

5) CherryPy

Developer – CherryPy team

Type – Micro web framework

Since – June 2002

CherryPy is a Python framework that is free to use. It is one of the oldest Python frameworks. It takes a minimalist approach to web application development. CherryPy resembles writing an object-oriented program when creating web applications.

It comes under the category of micro web frameworks. Any technology can be used to retrieve data or create templates. Moreover, this Python framework allows developers to create standalone Python programs that include a multithreaded server.

Key Features of CherryPy

• It has a thread pooling web server that is HTTP WSGI compatible.
• Built-in capabilities provided by the framework are coverage, profiling, and testing.
• It is Android-based.
• It has an excellent configuration system.
• This Python framework allows you to run several servers at the same time.

6) CubicWeb

Developer – LogiLab

Type – Full-stack framework

Since – 2001

It’s a Python full-stack framework that uses cubes instead of individual models and views. It’s a semantic web framework that’s open-source and free to use.

Key Features of CubicWeb

• It can work with a variety of databases.
• CubicWeb uses RQL (Relational Query Language) to make data inquiries easier.
• It provides security and components that can be reused.

Conclusion

We’ve covered a variety of Python frameworks that may be used to create web applications in this blog. Each framework’s essential aspects are explained, and these frameworks can readily satisfy the needs of a project or business. The framework chosen is entirely at the discretion of the developer, based on the requirements of the project.