10. Server-side scripting¶
10.1. Server-side scripting with Python¶
Although a URL can simply point at a file, it is also possible for a web-server to do something more than just looking up a file and sending it to the client. It can process the file in some way first, or even create it dynamically upon receiving the URL request. Programs that transform or generate documents on a server are what web applications are made of.
A web framework is a collection of software providing generic functionality for common web development tasks like database access, templating, and session management.
To keep things as simple as possible at the beginning of our journey to becoming web develpers, we will be using a very small and relatively simple microframework in Python named bottle.
10.2. Glossary¶
- web framework¶
A collection of software providing generic functionality for common web development tasks. Popular web frameworks in Python include Django, CherryPy, and Pyramid.
- microframework¶
A minimalistic web framework focusing on recieving HTTP requests, routing them to the designated Python function for processing, and returning the generated HTTP response. Examples of microframeworks in Python include Bottle and Flask.