Python: Installing the Flask dependency

This documentation is part of the Creating a REST API guide. You can view the complete guide here: Step-by-step guide to building a REST API with Flask in Python.

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You only need one main dependency for this example: Flask.

Flask is designed to be simple and fast, so you can build and deploy web APIs without unnecessary overhead. It comes with built-in support for routing, templating, and HTTP request handling, allowing you to go from idea to working API in just a few minutes.

You can install Flask and python-dotenv using pip:

pip install Flask python-dotenv

We include python-dotenv to manage environment variables securely and conveniently. You'll see how to use it in the next steps.

After installing, freeze your dependencies to a requirements.txt file:

pip freeze > requirements.txt

Freezing dependencies ensures everyone uses the same package versions. This small step can save you hours of troubleshooting later on.