Exploring Keras High-level APIs in TensorFlow 2.0:
Published: 2024-04-24 14:14:18

In the realm of deep learning, accessibility and simplicity are key factors in driving innovation. TensorFlow, as one of the leading frameworks for machine learning, has continually evolved to make complex tasks more manageable for developers of all skill levels. With the advent of TensorFlow 2.0, Keras became the official high-level API for building and training neural networks. In this blog post, we'll delve into the Keras high-level APIs within TensorFlow 2.0 and showcase their ease of use through illustrative code examples.

**Introduction to Keras in TensorFlow 2.0**

Keras provides a user-friendly interface for designing and training neural networks, abstracting away many complexities associated with low-level TensorFlow operations. With TensorFlow 2.0, Keras is seamlessly integrated into the framework, allowing for a more cohesive and streamlined workflow.

**Building a Simple Neural Network**

Let's start by constructing a basic neural network using Keras:

```
`import tensorflow as tf
from tensorflow.keras import layers

# Define the model architecture
model = tf.keras.Sequential([
    layers.Dense(64, activation='relu', input_shape=(784,)),
    layers.Dense(10, activation='softmax')
])

# Compile the model
model.compile(optimizer='adam',
              loss='sparse_categorical_crossentropy',
              metrics=['accuracy'])
`

```
In this example, we create a sequential model with two densely connected layers. The first layer has 64 units and uses the ReLU activation function, while the output layer consists of 10 units with a softmax activation function for multiclass classification. We compile the model with the Adam optimizer and specify the loss function and evaluation metric.

**Loading and Preprocessing Data**

Next, let's load and preprocess a dataset using TensorFlow Datasets:

```
`import tensorflow_datasets as tfds

# Load dataset
(train_images, train_labels), (test_images, test_labels) = tf.keras.datasets.mnist.load_data()

# Preprocess data
train_images = train_images.reshape((60000, 28 * 28)).astype('float32') / 255
test_images = test_images.reshape((10000, 28 * 28)).astype('float32') / 255
`
```

Here, we use the MNIST dataset and normalize the pixel values to the range [0, 1] by dividing by 255.

**Training the Model**
Now, let's train the model on the MNIST dataset:

```
`# Train the model
model.fit(train_images, train_labels, epochs=5, batch_size=64, validation_split=0.2)
`
```
We fit the model to the training data for 5 epochs with a batch size of 64, specifying a validation split of 0.2 for monitoring the validation loss during training.

**Evaluating the Model**

Finally, let's evaluate the model's performance on the test set:

```
`# Evaluate the model
test_loss, test_acc = model.evaluate(test_images, test_labels)
print('Test accuracy:', test_acc)
`
```
By calling the evaluate method on the test data, we obtain the model's accuracy on unseen examples.

**Conclusion**

In this blog post, we've explored the Keras high-level APIs in TensorFlow 2.0 through a series of code examples. From building and compiling a neural network to training and evaluating it on a dataset, Keras provides an intuitive interface for deep learning tasks, making it accessible to both beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. With its simplicity and flexibility, Keras empowers developers to focus on the creative aspects of machine learning, driving innovation and advancement in the field.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and I hope you found this exploration both enlightening and practical. Happy coding!

**© KAVINDU™ | 2024**