Python Standard Library for Web Development
Tags: webdev, beginners, tutorial, python
Published: 2024-01-24 16:46:43


## Python Standard Library

Python is one of the most popular programming languages due to its versatile area of uses and extensive package library which everyone can contribute to Python packages or create their own.

Python offers a variety of modules in its standard library that are helpful in various aspects of web development. In this article, we will focus on some key modules:


### [http.server:](https://docs.python.org/3/library/http.server.html)

The `http.server` module provides a basic HTTP server that can be used for serving static files or simple web applications


![Code showing a simple HTTP server](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xwan626py3fhvagtnptc.png) [Here is a sample code](https://github.com/kihuni/Explore-Backend/blob/main/Intro-to-Python-article/Python_Web_Development/Stardarn-library/http.server.py)

This code sets up a basic HTTP server in Python using the `http.server` and `socketserver` modules from the Python standard library. The server responds to the HTTP GET requests with a simple `hello, world` message.

When you run this script, it creates a simple HTTP server listening on port 8000. If you open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8000, you should see a "Hello, World!" message.

### [urllib:](https://docs.python.org/3/library/urllib.html)

The `urllib` module is divided into several submodules that provide tools for working with URLs:

- urllib.request: for opening and reading URLs
- urllib.error: containing the exceptions raised by urllib.request
- urllib.parse: for parsing URLs
- urllib.robotparser: for parsing robots.txt files

Urllib is often used for making HTTP requests and handling URLs. In this example, we will focus on the `urllib request` which is used to make HTTP requests and retrieve data from the web.


![Describing how urllib module is used](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/wh452asgq4t3jwow8znw.png)[Here is a sample code](https://github.com/kihuni/Explore-Backend/blob/main/Intro-to-Python-article/Python_Web_Development/Stardarn-library/urlib.py)

In the above example, the `urllib.request` is used to make an HTTP GET request to `URL (https://www.example.com)` and the `read()` method is used to read the contents in the url

### [http.client](https://docs.python.org/3/library/http.client.html)

The `http.client` module allows you to write programs that can access the internet using the HTTP protocol.

![code describes http.client module](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/7u4fwv9beu0gjvglxbs8.png)[Here is a sample code](https://github.com/kihuni/Explore-Backend/blob/main/Intro-to-Python-article/Python_Web_Development/Standard-library/http.client.py)

In the example, the `http.client` establishes an HTTPS connection to `www.example.com` and sends a simple `GET` request. The server response is then printed to the console.

[CGI:(Common Gateway Interface)](https://docs.python.org/3/library/cgi.html)

The `cgi` module in Python provides a way to interact with the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) protocol. It allows you to handle HTTP requests and responses, parse form data, and generate dynamic web content.

Here's an [example code snippet](https://github.com/kihuni/Explore-Backend/blob/main/Intro-to-Python-article/Python_Web_Development/Standard-library/CGI.py) that demonstrates the basic usage of the cgi module:

![code describes CGI module](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/n8qbv64l8jpaieg6v4ft.png)
[xmlrpc.client:](https://docs.python.org/3/library/xmlrpc.client.html)

The xmlrpc.client module facilitates working with XML-RPC, a protocol for making remote procedure calls over HTTP.

![code describes xmlrpc.client module](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/9nudqs4z3n3z5jiimmf4.png)[Here is a sample code](https://github.com/kihuni/Explore-Backend/tree/main/Intro-to-Python-article/Python_Web_Development/Standard-library/xml-rpc)

### Conclusion

While these modules are part of the Python standard library and can be used for basic web-related tasks, they are typically not sufficient for building full-fledged web applications. For more complex web applications, using a web framework like Flask or Django is recommended. These frameworks provide higher-level abstractions, routing, templates, and other features that simplify web development tasks.

If you want to learn more about Python Standard Library, [visit Python documentation for library](https://docs.python.org/3/library/index.html)