How to Build RESTful APIs with Flask and Django

RESTful APIs are the backbone of modern web and mobile applications, allowing seamless data exchange between clients and servers. Python provides two popular frameworks—Flask and Django—to build efficient and scalable RESTful APIs. In this blog, we will explore how to set up APIs using both frameworks, their key differences, and best practices.

Building RESTful APIs with Flask

Flask is a lightweight and flexible web framework for Python, making it a great choice for building simple and scalable RESTful APIs.

Why Choose Flask for REST APIs?

Minimalistic and easy to set up
High flexibility with fewer constraints
Ideal for microservices and small projects
Simple and readable syntax

Installing Flask

pip install flask

Creating a Simple Flask API

from flask import Flask, jsonify, request

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/api', methods=['GET'])
def get_data():
    return jsonify({"message": "Hello from Flask API!"})

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(debug=True)

Running the Flask API

Save the script as app.py and run:

python app.py

Access the API at http://127.0.0.1:5000/api.

Adding POST Requests in Flask

@app.route('/api', methods=['POST'])
def create_data():
    data = request.json
    return jsonify({"message": "Data received", "data": data}), 201

Building RESTful APIs with Django

Django, with its powerful Django REST Framework (DRF), is ideal for building scalable and feature-rich APIs.

Why Choose Django REST Framework (DRF)?

Built-in authentication and permissions
Fully-featured serialization and validation
Scalable for large applications
Robust ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) support

Installing Django and DRF

pip install django djangorestframework

Setting Up a Django REST API

Create a Django Project and App

django-admin startproject myproject
cd myproject
python manage.py startapp api

Define a Simple API

Modify api/views.py:

from rest_framework.decorators import api_view
from rest_framework.response import Response

@api_view(['GET'])
def api_home(request):
    return Response({"message": "Hello from Django REST API!"})

Configure URLs

Update urls.py:

from django.urls import path
from api.views import api_home

urlpatterns = [
    path('api/', api_home),
]

Run the Django API Server

python manage.py runserver

Access the API at http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/.

Adding a POST Request in Django

Modify views.py:

@api_view(['POST'])
def post_data(request):
    data = request.data
    return Response({"message": "Data received", "data": data}, status=201)