Create-flask-app with a single commend

Question

Lately I was creating a loot of flask apps and I was getting a bit annoyed typing each time all the commands (make venv, flask env, pip installing, gitignore...)

So I decided to make a package that I can install with pip and add a command that will make all the files I need and install the packages I want in the venv.

This is the code I came up with: repo for the code - more code there.

import subprocess
import secrets
import os
import pathlib

#Path for where the script is runing
path = os.getcwd()

#Path for this file 
this_path = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.resolve()
def create():
    subprocess.run("python -m venv .venv")
    subprocess.run("mkdir Routes")
    subprocess.run("mkdir Modules")
    subprocess.run("touch main.py .gitignore .env .flaskenv requirements.txt .venv/scripts/activate_this.py")

    with open(f"{path}\\.venv\\scripts\\activate_this.py", "w") as venv_activator:
        venv_activator.write(activate_this)

    # Gitignore write
    with open(f"{path}\\.gitignore", "w") as git:
        git.write(".venv \n__pycache__ ")

    # Basic fleskenv file
    with open(f"{path}\\.flaskenv", "w") as flask_env:
        flask_env.write("FLASK_APP=main.py\nFLASK_ENV=development\nDEBUG=True")

    # Creates env file with random secret key
    with open(f"{path}\\.env", "w") as env:
        env.write(f"SECRET_KEY={secrets.token_hex(48)}\n")

    # Basic flask app
    with open(f"{path}\\main.py", "w") as main:
        main.write('from flask import Flask\nfrom dotenv import load_dotenv\nimport os\n\n\nload_dotenv()\n\napp = Flask(__name__)\napp.config["SECRET_KEY"] = os.getenv("SECRET_KEY")')

    activator = f"{path}\\.venv\\scripts\\activate_this.py"
    with open(activator) as f:
        exec(f.read(), {'__file__': activator})

    subprocess.run("pip install flask python-dotenv")

    with open(f"{path}\\requirements.txt", "w") as requirements:
        subprocess.run("pip3 freeze > requirements.txt", stdout=requirements)

There is some stuff that needs improvement, like how I create the files. If you got any ideas on how to make improvements I will appreciate it!

You can install the package with pip install basic-flask and then in the directory You want to create the flask app run the commend: create-flask

Answer 1

os.getcwd() can (and should) be replaced with a similar call in pathlib.

subprocess.run should in all instances be replaced with check_call; though using subprocess in the following cases is not justified:

• the mkdir subprocess call should go away entirely and instead use the Python-native mkdir.
• python -m venv should be replaced with calls to the API
• touch should be replaced with Path.touch

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for pip and pip3: The authors do not recommend using it as an API, so you're stuck with subprocess.check_call.

Does this code run? activate_this seems undefined.

Writing to main.py the way you do is questionable. At the very least, you should use a multi-line docstring; but it would be better to hold main.py on the filesystem in your module and copy to the destination.