Getting Started with Flask (for Absolute Beginners)

---

Are you new to web development with Python? Want to build a simple website or app? Flask is a great place to start! This guide will walk you through everything step by step—no complicated setup, just pure simplicity.

---

💡 What is Flask?

Flask is a tool that helps you build websites and web apps using Python. It’s:

• Simple to use
• Lightweight
• Great for learning how web apps work

---

✅ What You Need

Make sure you have the following:

• Python installed (version 3.7 or higher)
  • Download Python here
  • During installation, make sure to check ✅ “Add Python to PATH”

---

🔹 Step 1: Install Flask

Let’s install Flask using a command.

1. Open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux)
2. Type this and press Enter:

pip install flask

This will download and install Flask on your computer.

💡 Tip: If pip doesn’t work, try python -m pip install flask

---

🔹 Step 2: Create Your First Flask App

Now let’s build your first Flask website.

1. Open any folder (like Documents) and create a new folder called flask_app
2. Open Notepad (or any text editor like VS Code)
3. Copy this code and save it as app.py inside the flask_app folder:

from flask import Flask

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/')
def home():
    return 'Hello, Flask!'

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

---

🔹 Step 3: Run the App

Now let’s run the app!

1. Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux)
2. Navigate to the folder where your app.py is. Example:

cd Desktop\flask_app

(Or wherever you saved the file)

3. Run the app:

python app.py

If everything is okay, you’ll see something like this:

 * Running on http://127.0.0.1:5000/

4. Open your browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:5000/
   You’ll see Hello, Flask! 🎉

---

🧪 Step 4: Try More Routes

Want to add more pages?

Open app.py and add these lines:

@app.route('/about')
def about():
    return 'This is the About page'

@app.route('/hello/<name>')
def greet(name):
    return f'Hello, {name}!'

Save the file and restart your app (press Ctrl+C, then run python app.py again). Now try:

• http://127.0.0.1:5000/about
• http://127.0.0.1:5000/hello/Alex

---

🎯 What’s Next?

You’ve just built your first Flask app! From here, you can:

• Add HTML pages
• Accept form inputs
• Connect to a database
• Build real apps like a blog or a to-do list

---

📚 Resources to Keep Learning

• Flask Official Website
• Flask Crash Course (YouTube – Traversy Media)
• Build a Website with Flask (FreeCodeCamp)

---

🙌 Final Words

Flask makes it easy to turn your Python code into a working website. Don’t worry about doing everything perfectly—just keep experimenting and building!