This project is a simple backend API for managing blog posts built using Python’s Flask framework and SQLAlchemy. It provides CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations for blog posts and can serve as a starting point for more advanced blog or content management systems.
The Blog API is a RESTful service that allows clients to manage blog posts. It supports the following operations:
The API is built using Flask for the web framework and SQLAlchemy for ORM (Object Relational Mapping) with a SQLite database for data persistence.
Model Definition:
The Post model defines the structure of a blog post, including fields for title, content, and timestamps for creation and updates.
to_dict() method before being sent as JSON in the response.pip for installing Python packages.Clone the Repository
git clone https://github.com/your-username/blog-api.git
cd blog-api
Create a Virtual Environment (Optional but Recommended)
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
Install Dependencies
pip install flask flask_sqlalchemy
Run the Application
The application will automatically create the SQLite database and required tables on the first run.
python app.py
The API will now be accessible at http://localhost:5000.
GET /postsResponse:
[
{
"id": 1,
"title": "My First Post",
"content": "This is the content of my first post.",
"created_at": "2025-03-29T12:34:56.789123",
"updated_at": "2025-03-29T12:34:56.789123"
},
...
]
GET /posts/<post_id>GET /posts/1Response:
{
"id": 1,
"title": "My First Post",
"content": "This is the content of my first post.",
"created_at": "2025-03-29T12:34:56.789123",
"updated_at": "2025-03-29T12:34:56.789123"
}
POST /postsRequest Body:
{
"title": "My New Post",
"content": "Content for my new post."
}
Response:
Returns the created post with a unique ID and timestamps.
{
"id": 2,
"title": "My New Post",
"content": "Content for my new post.",
"created_at": "2025-03-29T13:00:00.000000",
"updated_at": "2025-03-29T13:00:00.000000"
}
PUT /posts/<post_id>Request Body:
{
"title": "Updated Title",
"content": "Updated content."
}
Response:
Returns the updated post.
{
"id": 1,
"title": "Updated Title",
"content": "Updated content.",
"created_at": "2025-03-29T12:34:56.789123",
"updated_at": "2025-03-29T14:00:00.000000"
}
DELETE /posts/<post_id>Response:
{
"message": "Post deleted successfully."
}
unittest or pytest modules.pytestInstall pytest:
pip install pytest
Create a test file (e.g., test_app.py) and write tests:
import json
from app import app, db, Post
def test_get_posts():
with app.test_client() as client:
response = client.get('/posts')
assert response.status_code == 200
def test_create_post():
with app.test_client() as client:
data = {
"title": "Test Post",
"content": "This is a test."
}
response = client.post('/posts', json=data)
assert response.status_code == 201
json_data = json.loads(response.data)
assert json_data['title'] == "Test Post"
Run the tests:
pytest
Create a Dockerfile in the project root:
FROM python:3.9-slim
WORKDIR /app
# Copy requirements file and install dependencies
COPY requirements.txt requirements.txt
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
# Copy the rest of the application code
COPY . .
EXPOSE 5000
CMD ["python", "app.py"]
Build and run the Docker container:
docker build -t blog-api .
docker run -d -p 5000:5000 blog-api
GET /posts endpoint.Application Not Starting:
Ensure that all dependencies are installed and the virtual environment is activated.
Database Issues:
Verify that the SQLite file is accessible or update the SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI for other database systems.
API Returns 404:
Make sure you are using the correct URL and that the server is running on the expected port.
Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:
git checkout -b feature/my-feature).git push origin feature/my-feature).This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
Enjoy using the Blog API, and feel free to extend it further to suit your needs!