WORKFLOW

Create a Python Web Application Using the Wolfram Language

Using a Single File with URLDispatcher...

Create an API

Create an APIFunction that returns the distance between two cities:

Create the web form interface

Apply FormFunction to the parameters of the API to construct the form:

Create the endpoints for the app

Use URLDispatcher to create multiple endpoints to access either the web form or the API directly:

Export the app files

Create a directory to store the app files:

Use Export to write the content to a file called dispatcher.wl:

Serve the application

Open the terminal window and navigate to the app folder location:

$ cd ~/Desktop/city-distance-app

Run the following command to serve the application:

$ python -m wolframwebengine dispatcher.wl
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Address         http://localhost:18000/
File            path/city-distance-app/dispatcher.wl
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Press CTRL+C to quit)

Go to http://localhost:18000 and click the Use the Form hyperlink to be taken to the appropriate endpoint:

Use the application

Find the distance between Berlin and Paris:

Using Multiple Files in a Directory Layout...

Create an API

Create an APIFunction that returns the distance between two cities:

Create the web form interface

Apply FormFunction to the parameters of the API to construct the form:

Create the directories

Create a directory to store the app files:

Create a subdirectory for the API:

Create a subdirectory for the form:

Export the app files

Use Map to batch export the app files to their appropriate locations, including both the API and the form:

  • All files with extensions .m, .mx, .wxf, .wl are evaluated in the kernel using GenerateHTTPResponse on the content of the file, so the index.wl expression must be wrapped with Delayed.
  • File extensions outside of .m, .mx, .wxf, .wl are served as static content.

Serve the application

Open the terminal window and navigate to the app folder location:

$ cd ~/Desktop/city-distance-app

Run the following command to serve the application:

$ python -m wolframwebengine city-distance-app
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Address         http://localhost:18000/
Folder          path/city-distance-app
Index           index.wl
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Press CTRL+C to quit)
  • If the request path corresponds to a directory on disk, the server will search for a file named index.wl in that directory. This convention can be changed with the --index option.

Got to http://localhost:18000 and click the Use the Form hyperlink to be taken to the appropriate endpoint:

Use the application

Find the distance between Berlin and Paris: