FastAPI: Transforming Python Web Development

Name

Omar C. Williams

Published on 8/19/2023

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Python's reputation as a go-to language for web app development has been amplified by impressive frameworks like Django, Flask, Falcon, and many more. Thanks to Python's status as a key language for machine learning, it serves as a convenient tool for packaging models and exposing them as services. However, a relatively new contender is Transforming this space - FastAPI. Taking inspiration from its predecessors, FastAPI refines and improves upon them, bringing in a host of exciting features.

FastAPI: A New Paradigm in Python Web Frameworks

FastAPI, though a newcomer, has made its mark in the Python community due to its striking balance between functionality and developer freedom. It resembles Flask in its philosophy, but with a healthier equilibrium. This new web framework not only benefits from the strengths of its predecessors but also addresses their shortcomings.

One of FastAPI's strongest selling points is its simplistic yet effective interface. Its innovative approach to defining schemas with Pydantic, another powerful Python library used for data validation, reduces developers' workload. This feature, coupled with the automatic error handling mechanism, make FastAPI an extremely developer-friendly framework.

from fastapi import FastAPI
from pydantic import BaseModel
 
class User(BaseModel):
 email: str
 password: str
 
app = FastAPI()
 
@app.post("/login")
def login(user: User):
 # processing login
 return {"msg": "login successful"}

This simple example showcases FastAPI's intuitiveness. You can start your FastAPI app with Uvicorn, and it's ready to handle requests in no time.

FastAPI's Asynchronous Advantage

FastAPI is leading the way in eradicating one of the significant drawbacks of Python WSGI web frameworks: their inability to handle requests asynchronously. With FastAPI's ability to exploit Python's ASGI, it matches the performance capabilities of web frameworks in Node.js or Go. Developers can easily declare endpoints with the 'async' keyword, enhancing the app's performance.

@app.post("/")
async def endpoint():
 # async functions in action
 return {"msg": "FastAPI is amazing!"}

Simplifying Dependency Injections with FastAPI

Dependency injections have never been simpler, thanks to FastAPI's innovative approach. It provides a built-in injection system that helps manage dependencies effortlessly. FastAPI's runtime evaluation of dependencies simplifies testing and enables sophisticated checks, making user authentication and similar procedures a breeze.

from fastapi import FastAPI, Depends
from pydantic import BaseModel
 
class Comment(BaseModel):
 username: str
 content: str
 
app = FastAPI()
 
database = {
 "articles": {
 1: {
 "title": "Top 3 Reasons to Start Using FastAPI Now",
 "comments": []
 }
 }
}
 
def get_database():
 return database
 
@app.post("/articles/{article_id}/comments")
def post_comment(article_id: int, comment: Comment, database = Depends(get_database)):
 database["articles"][article_id]["comments"].append(comment)
 return {"msg": "comment posted!"}

Easy Database Integration

FastAPI doesn't confine your choice of databases. Be it SQL, MongoDB, or Redis, you can add your preferred database to your tech stack without unnecessary complications, unlike some frameworks like Django. FastAPI eases the integration, letting the choice of database, rather than the framework, determine the amount of

work involved.

from fastapi import FastAPI, Depends
from sqlalchemy import create_engine
from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker
 
engine = create_engine("sqlite:///./database.db")
Session = sessionmaker(bind=engine)
 
def get_db():
 return Session()
 
app = FastAPI()
 
@app.get("/")
def an_endpoint_using_sql(db = Depends(get_db)):
 # SQLAlchemy in action
 return {"msg": "operation successful!"}

You can access FastAPI GtiHub here (opens in a new tab).

Embracing GraphQL and Stellar Documentation

FastAPI's compatibility with GraphQL is another significant feature. When dealing with complex data models, REST can prove challenging. Here, GraphQL, integrated seamlessly with FastAPI and Graphene, comes to the rescue, reducing frontend modifications that may otherwise require updating the endpoint schema.

FastAPI also boasts excellent documentation, adding to its appeal. Though younger than Django or Flask, it rivals them in terms of documentation quality.

Conclusion

In summary, whether you seek a fast, lightweight framework for your machine learning models or need something more robust, FastAPI delivers. Its simplicity, versatility, and performance are sure to leave you impressed, making it a must-try for any Python developer.