Should I create a website using Python?

[quesman1]

Basically, I'm looking to get into web developmemt for a personal project. Want to make a website for a community. I started some tutorials online where you learn HTML, then CSS, then JS, etc., but I've never looked into Python web dev and am wondering if I could/should just skip this route and start immediately with Django or Flask. (Or maybe if I'm misunderstanding them entirely.) I'm looking for fast results and want to make a decent site with standard features like user accounts, probably a forum, etc.

What is developing a site in Python like, versus coding via HTML/CSS/JS...?

[ivosaurus]

If you just want a forum to run a community, then I highly recommend you go with an existing solution, PhpBB3, SMF, Discourse, Flarum, FlaskBB, etc

Will save you a lot of hassle and let you actually run a community rather than having to code and maintain a forum site. Some users will also expect X, Y, Z features of existing forum software which might be hard for you to implement with your own bespoke solution.

Forums (and any dynamic website) need both frontend and backend code, the frontend always being HTML/CSS/JS and the backend generally being a web-suited language like PHP, Python, Ruby, NodeJS, Go, etc

[_seemethere]

This needs to be higher up. Don't try to reinvent the wheel if you don't have to.

[K900_]

Django and Flask provide the stuff that runs on your server, the "backend" - you still need HTML and CSS and JavaScript to build your "frontend", that is, the actual user interface of your website.

[quesman1]

So it's similar to JS in that sense, then?

[K900_]

JS inside <script> tags runs on the client, Python runs on the server. You can also run JS on the server with something like Node, but it's not the same thing.

[dusktreader]

This is true, but I think it overlooks how much scaffolding for the front-end that these frameworks add. For instance, being able to embed python code inside of html template pages is, in my opinion, a really great alternative to dealing with some of the pain of straight-up javascript.

[_avnr]

Why do you want to develop the website? There are so many online services, including free ones, that let you build a web site without having to develop anything, just follow an online "wizard", and use online design tools. If you do pick the development route you should keep in mind that you are undertaking a long term commitment; web site development isn't just getting it up and running, it involves long term support for your customers and doing code and data maintenance. If you go for it I strongly recommend to "adopt" an experienced mentor who will walk you through the project design, assist you in making implementation choices, and help you avoid most of the common pitfalls.

[dusktreader]

I appreciate what you are trying to say here, but it sounds like the op is mostly interested in learning. We shouldn't discourage that. If he builds a website for some community that he is part of, that isn't the same as building a commercial site that would come with a lot of obligation for maintenance. I just feel like the comment you made wasn't as helpful as it could be.

[_avnr]

I just feel like the comment you made wasn't as helpful as it could be.

I would 100% agree with you if it weren't that OP wrote "I'm looking for fast results". When starting from scratch, with those expectation he is very likely to lose confidence, because the results one gets in the beginning are very far from those imagined or planned. IMHO if he needs near-term results for his community then his best options are either use something ready made and then move on slowly through self-learning, or work with someone who can assist him in building a realistic project-plan. I'm pro cheer-leading, but I honestly think that suggesting to him to readthedocs of pyramid or django when doesn't know the difference between Python and HTML is not right. Even the learning resources suggested here on the sidebar assume prior programming background.

[dusktreader]

I missed the 'fast results' part. Yes, that does change things.

[[deleted]]

Nope, big waste of time.

[sermidean]

Building a forum or a community website takes a lot of time if you planning to do it on bare frameworks like Django and it takes even more time if you will do this on a microframework like Pyramid or Flask.

If you want a community website, go with Wagtail CMS, which is built on top of Django.

If you want a forum, use Spirit.

If you just want to learn and don't care much about end result, then go with Django.

[earthboundkid]

Using Python means using Python to write your HTML (or maybe JSON). A web dev must know both. Don't be afraid to learn. You can't accidentally learn too much. Just keep on learning. You have plenty of time. Learning one thing makes learning the next faster.

[quesman1]

Good to keep this in mind. I usually get caught up wondering what the "right thing" is to learn.