Step-by-Step Tutorial: Creating a RESTful API with Flask and SQLAlchemy

In this tutorial, I’ll guide you through the process of building a RESTful API using Flask, a Python microframework, and SQLAlchemy, a powerful SQL toolkit. You’ll learn how to create endpoints for performing CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on a database using HTTP methods. Let’s get started!

Photo by Farzad on Unsplash

Prerequisites:

• Basic knowledge of Python programming.
• Python and pip installed on your machine.

Step 1: Setup and Installation

1. Create a new directory for your project and navigate to it in your terminal.
2. Set up a virtual environment: python3 -m venv venv
3. Activate the virtual environment: source venv/bin/activate
4. Install Flask and SQLAlchemy: pip install Flask SQLAlchemy

Step 2: Define Models

1. Create a file named models.py.
2. Define your SQLAlchemy model classes for the database entities you want to create.
3. Use decorators to define fields and relationships within your models.

Step 3: Create Flask App

1. Create a file named app.py.
2. Import necessary modules: from flask import…