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Forum Application

Created by Fabricio Braga
Last Updated: February 28, 2025

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Project Overview

This is a simple Forum Application built with Flask, a Python micro-framework for web development. The application allows users to:

• Create Topics: Add new topics with a title, content, and author name.
• Reply to Topics: Add replies to existing topics.
• List Topics: View all topics along with their replies.

The application demonstrates key Flask concepts, including routing, request handling, templates, and error handling.

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Features

• Create a Topic: Add a new topic with a title, content, and author name.
• Reply to a Topic: Add replies to existing topics.
• List Topics: View all topics and their replies in a clean, minimalist design.
• Navigation Menu: Easily navigate between the home page and the "Create Topic" page.
• Flash Messages: Display success and error messages for user actions.

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Technologies Used

• Flask: A lightweight Python web framework.
• Jinja2: Templating engine for rendering HTML.
• CSS: Custom styles for a modern and minimalist design.
• Python: Backend logic and application development.

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Prerequisites

Before running the project, ensure you have the following installed:

1. Python

• Download and install Python from https://www.python.org/.
• Verify the installation:

  python3 --version

2. Git (Optional)

• Git is used for version control. You can download it from https://git-scm.com/.

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Getting Started

Follow these steps to set up and run the project locally.

1. Clone the Repository

Clone the repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/hackthegap/course-8-python-forum.git
cd course-8-python-forum

2. Set Up a Virtual Environment

Create and activate a virtual environment:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install Dependencies

Install the required dependencies:

pip install Flask

4. Run the Application

Start the Flask development server:

python3 run.py

The application will be available at http://localhost:5000.

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Project Structure

forum-app/
├── app/
│   ├── __init__.py       # Flask application setup
│   ├── routes.py         # Routes and request handling
│   ├── models.py         # Data models (in-memory storage)
├── templates/
│   ├── base.html         # Base template for all pages
│   ├── index.html        # Home page (list of topics)
│   ├── topic.html        # Topic details and replies
│   ├── create_topic.html # Form to create a new topic
│   ├── 404.html          # Custom 404 error page
├── static/
│   ├── styles.css        # Custom CSS styles
├── requirements.txt      # List of dependencies
├── run.py                # Entry point for the application

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Key Features and Technical Details

1. Routing

• Routes are defined in app/routes.py.
• Key routes:
  • /: Home page (lists all topics).
  • /create_topic: Form to create a new topic.
  • /topic/<int:topic_id>: Displays a topic and its replies.
  • /topic/<int:topic_id>/reply: Handles replies to a topic.

2. Templates

• Uses Jinja2 for templating.
• Templates are located in the templates folder.
• base.html is the base template extended by other pages.

3. Static Files

• Custom CSS styles are located in static/styles.css.
• Linked in the base.html template using Flask’s url_for function.

4. Error Handling

• Custom 404 error page (templates/404.html).
• Flash messages for success and error notifications.

5. In-Memory Data Storage

• Topics and replies are stored in an in-memory list (app/models.py).

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Usage

1. Home Page

• Displays a list of all topics.
• Click on a topic to view its details and replies.

2. Create a Topic

• Click the "Create Topic" link in the navigation menu.
• Fill out the form and submit to create a new topic.

3. Reply to a Topic

• Navigate to a topic’s detail page.
• Fill out the reply form and submit to add a reply.

4. Navigation

• Use the navigation menu at the top of the page to switch between the home page and the "Create Topic" page.

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Running Tests

The application includes unit tests for the ToDoList class. Run the tests using the following command:

python3 -m unittest discover tests

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Deployment

To deploy the application in a production environment:

1. Install Gunicorn:

   pip install gunicorn

2. Run the application with Gunicorn:

   gunicorn run:app

3. Access the application at http://localhost:8000.

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Contributing

If you'd like to contribute to this project, follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/YourFeatureName).
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some feature').
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/YourFeatureName).
5. Open a pull request.

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Acknowledgments

• This project was created as part of a course to teach Flask and web development.
• Special thanks to the Flask and Python communities for providing excellent resources and tools.

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Questions?

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to the instructor or open an issue in the repository.

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