A typical directory structure for a Python Flask web application using SQLAlchemy might look like the following. I will provide an explanation for each component to clarify its purpose.
Directory Structure
Key Components
/app
The app directory contains your core Flask application, including the models, views (routes), templates, and configuration.
__init__.py This is where your Flask app is initialized, following the application factory pattern. You create and configure the app, and import necessary components like SQLAlchemy.
models.py This file contains all your SQLAlchemy models, defining the database structure. Models represent tables in your database.
routes.py
This file defines the Flask routes (also known as views) that handle different URLs and user requests.
templates/
The templates directory contains HTML files for the application. Flask uses Jinja2 as its template engine to render dynamic content.
base.html
A common layout template that other templates extend from.
index.html
The homepage or other view templates.
static/
This folder contains static assets such as CSS, JavaScript, and image files. These files are served directly without any processing.
css/, js/, images/
Subfolders to organize your stylesheets, JavaScript files, and images.
forms.py
If you are using Flask-WTF, this file defines forms to handle user inputs and validate them.
config.py
Configuration settings for your app. It includes settings like database URIs, debug mode, secret keys, etc. This is referenced when the app is initialized.
extensions.py
This file is used to initialize third-party extensions like SQLAlchemy, Flask-Migrate, etc. It helps keep the initialization code in one place.
/migrations
This directory is for database migrations using Alembic (Flask-Migrate). It tracks the schema changes over time, making it easy to apply or roll back database changes.
versions/
Auto-generated migration files that Alembic creates to track changes to your models.
/tests
The tests directory contains unit and integration tests for your application. test_models.py
Tests related to your SQLAlchemy models.
test_routes.py
Tests for the Flask routes and views.
test_forms.py
Tests for form validation and processing.
.flaskenv
Environment variables for Flask can be placed here, such as enabling the debug mode, setting the Flask app>
Example content for flaskenv:
FLASK_APP=run.py
FLASK_ENV=development
.gitignore
Files and directories that Git should ignore (e.g., virtual environments, compiled files, secrets).
config.py
This configuration file holds environment-specific settings, including database URIs and secret keys. You can have different configurations for development, testing, and production.
manage.py
This is a management script that helps with running Flask commands, such as migrations or running the app.
run.py
The main entry point for running the Flask app.
requirements.txt
This file lists all Python dependencies for your project, such as Flask, SQLAlchemy, Flask-Migrate, etc.
Conclusion
app/: Contains the core of the Flask application, including routes, models, templates, and static assets.
migrations/: Tracks database schema changes with Alembic.
tests/: Contains unit and integration tests.
Configuration Files: For managing settings (config.py), running the app (run.py), and defining environment variables (.flaskenv).
Dependency management: Managed with requirements.txt.
This structure organizes your Flask application in a clean, scalable way, separating concerns like templates, static files, routes, and models.
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