Being an essential part of web development, how server communicates with client is of high importance. Here we explore the Lazy Response Style using %60make_response%60 in Python Flask, a micro-framework for web development. This style proves handy when you need to send dynamic content to clients like we do in web applications.
Addressing the Problem
Often times, certain data either needs to be further processed before being sent to client or needs to be extracted from a database. Fetching such data can often take substantial time, especially if the application is data heavy. Queuing these requests or making the client wait until data is ready is counter-productive.
To handle this, we use what is known as lazy responses. Instead of sending the data immediately, we return a response object, which is eventually converted to an actual HTTP response object. The ‘make_response’ feature in Python Flask is instrumental for this process. This lazy response style is extremely beneficial in improving the efficiency of a web application, especially when working with large datasets.
Solution with Flask’s ‘make_response’
Using ‘make_response’ is fairly simple. We first import the Flask module and create a Flask web server from the Flask module. We then associate a URL rule to a Python function.
When this URL is hit, the associated function gets executed.
from Flask import Flask, make_response
app = Flask(__name__)
@app.route('/get_data')
def get_large_data():
# database related operations
data = fetch_data()
resp = make_response(data)
return resp
In the given piece of code, when ‘/get_data’ is hit, function ‘get_large_data’ is executed which fetches the data and returns a response object. This employs the lazy response style allowing efficient data fetch and transfer operations.
Step-by-step Explanation of the Code
- Firstly, Flask module is imported which provides tools, technologies and protocols to create a web application.
- Using this module, a Flask web server is created.
- ‘route()’ function of Flask class is a decorator, which associates a URL rule to a function – ‘get_large_data’ in this case.
- When ‘/get_data’ URL is hit on the browser, function ‘get_large_data’ is executed. This function is responsible for fetching data from the database or any other location.
- This data is then wrapped inside a response object using ‘make_response’ function.
- Finally, this response object is returned whenever ‘/get_data’ URL is hit, hence employing lazy response style.
The code highlights Flask’s unique feature—its ability to send back a lazy response using the make_response function to help efficient data processing and transfer.
Exploring Other Similar Libraries
While Flask is an excellent choice for web development in Python due to its simplicity, there are several other libraries such as Django, Pyramid etc. that also offer similar functionality. Django, being a full-featured Python web framework, includes functionalities for database manipulation, template rendering, routing, among others. Pyramid is another framework that excels at simplicity and minimalism while providing an efficient solution for web development.
Overall, understanding and implementing the lazy response method is a significant stride towards creating efficient web applications that handle large datasets with ease.
