Category: Programming
-
Using Background Tasks in FastAPI for Non-Blocking Operations
FastAPI makes it delightfully simple to build high-performance APIs, but one common need in modern web development is to handle background work — like sending emails, updating statistics, or triggering other time-consuming tasks — without making the user wait. In this article, I’ll walk you through FastAPI’s built-in support for background tasks, how to use…
-
Introducing Custom Middleware in FastAPI: A Practical Walkthrough
If you’re building an API with FastAPI, eventually you’ll need to address aspects like logging, authentication, request throttling, or response manipulation—all of which often span multiple routes. Rather than cluttering your endpoints or dependencies, FastAPI middleware lets you inject logic that acts before and after every request. In this article, I’ll show you how to…
-
Mastering Python’s `itertools`: Powerful Tools for Efficient Iteration
Python’s standard library is filled with gems, and the itertools module is one of the brightest. If you’ve ever faced a task involving complex iteration, combinatorial logic, or data stream manipulation, chances are itertools has a performant, elegant solution waiting for you. In this article, I’ll introduce you to this indispensable module with practical examples…
-
Automate Your Workflow with Python’s `subprocess` Module
As Python programmers, we’re always looking for ways to seamlessly automate repetitive tasks and glue disparate tools together. The subprocess module is one of Python’s most powerful—but often underappreciated—tools for bridging the gap between your Python scripts and the rest of your system. In this article, I’ll walk you through using the subprocess module to…
-
Boosting Productivity with Python’s ‘shutil’ Module: Effortless File Operations
When working with files and directories in Python, you may have welcomed the ease of using os and pathlib for basic file system manipulations. But what if you need to copy, move, or delete entire directories, or manage file archives with just a few lines of code? This is where Python’s shutil module shines. In…
-
Effortless Timing in Python: Measuring Code Performance with the ‘timeit’ Module
As Python developers, we often find ourselves concerned with performance. Whether we’re optimizing a critical algorithm or simply curious about the speed differences between alternative implementations, having an accurate and reliable method to measure code execution time is essential. Enter the timeit module—a simple yet powerful tool in the Python Standard Library designed for precisely…
-
Testing FastAPI Dependencies: Techniques for Reliable Unit Tests
When building robust APIs with FastAPI, effective testing isn’t just about hitting endpoints; it’s about ensuring that all the components—especially dependencies—work as expected. FastAPI’s dependency injection system is incredibly powerful, but understanding how to write focused, maintainable tests for them can be a game-changer. In this article, I’ll walk through strategies for testing FastAPI dependencies—both…
-
Python’s pathlib: Modern File System Paths Made Easy
Interacting with the file system is a common—and often frustrating—part of programming. If you’ve spent time with Python, you probably remember the days of wrestling with os.path, string concatenation, and subtle cross-platform bugs. Thankfully, since Python 3.4, we’ve had a much more elegant alternative: the pathlib module. Let’s dive into how pathlib streamlines file and…
-
Integrating LangChain with FastAPI: Building LLM-Powered APIs
Large Language Models (LLMs) are transforming the web application landscape, and frameworks like LangChain make harnessing their power easier than ever. If you’re already leveraging FastAPI to build your APIs, you can seamlessly combine it with LangChain to introduce advanced language capabilities into your backend services. What is LangChain? LangChain is a Python framework designed…
-
Implementing Versioned APIs in FastAPI: Structure for Flexibility and Reusability
Versioning your API is crucial for maintaining backward compatibility as your application evolves. FastAPI makes API versioning straightforward, and with some attention to your project structure, you can maximize reusability and flexibility for future iterations. Why Version Your API? API versioning allows you to make breaking changes to your endpoints while ensuring existing clients are…