Flask-File-Routes

File-based routing with a new mix-code file format that combines python code and a jinja template.
Inspired by Astro pages.

This uses Jinjapy for the page format.

Installation

pip install flask-file-routes

Usage

Activate the extension:

from flask import Flask
from flask_file_routes import FileRoutes

app = Flask(__name__)
FileRoutes(app)

Create a pages/index.jpy file:

---
page.message = "hello world"
def post():
    page.message = f"hello {request.form['name']}"
---
{{ message }}
<hr>
<form method="post">
    <input type="text" name="name" placeholder="your name">
    <button type="submit">say hello</button>
</form>

Go to http://localhost:5000.

Dynamic pages

Dynamic pages can use the following formats:

• jpy: jinjapy hybrid format that let you execute code before rendering the template
• py: python code only

A jinjapy file contains 2 sections:

• Some Python code enclosed by lines containg 3 dashes "---"
• A body containing some Jinja template code

Both are optional:

• If the python code is missing, the file only contains a Jinja template
• If the python code is left unclosed (the file starts with "---" on a single line followed by some python code), the file has no template

The python code has a few global variables injected when executed: page, request, abort, redirect, url_for, current_app, render_template.

Content pages

No python code will be executed on content pages.

Content pages can use the following formats:

• html: a standard jinja template
• md: a standard jinja template that will be rendered using markdown

All formats can have a YAML frontmatter defining variables that will be injected in the page object.

How routing works

The URL rule is constructed using the following rules:

• index.ext file are roots
• folder hierarchy are transformed to url paths:
  • posts/release-annoucement.ext converts to /posts/release-annoucement
  • posts/index.ext converts to /posts
  • folder/subfolder/page.ext converts to /folder/subfolder/page
• placeholders are allowed in filenames as they would in url rules
  • posts/<slug>.ext converts to /posts/<slug>
• surround a folder name with parentheses so that it does not appear in the url
  • folder/(subfolder)/page.ext converts to /folder/page

Allowed HTTP methods are determined by, in order:

1. A comment at the start of the python code listing allowed http methods in the following format: # methods=GET,POST
2. functions with HTTP method names in lower case

The page object

The page object is accessible under flask_file_routes.page or g.page in all endpoints of your app.

Any properties set onto the object will be available as a variable in the template.

You can send a response immediatly and stop any further processing using page.respond(response).

View args are available as read-only properties of the page object.

from flask_file_routes import page

@app.route("/")
def index():
    page.message = "hello world"
    return render_template_string("{{message}}")

Helpers can be registered on the page object:

file_routes = FileRoutes(app)

@file_routes.page_helper
def method(page):
    return request.method

pages/index.jpy

---
#methods=GET,POST
if page.method == "POST": # call the helper
    page.message = "hello from post"
else:
    page.message = "hello from get"
---
{{message}}

Special page properties

Setting some properties on the page obejct will affect how the template is rendered:

• page.is_markdown: after the jinja template is rendered, it will be processed by the markdown converter
• page.layout: wrap the page output in a layout. This should be a template path that will be extended. You can specify the name of the block to override after a colon (eg: layout.html:my_block)