How and when to use our web app working template

There are some operations that we must always do, such as preparing the virtual environment and installing all the proper libraries. These operations are the real foundation of our activity of web application creation.

Once our environment is ready, we can start writing our code. This activity requires a deep comprehension of the problems we are asked to solve and a clear implementation strategy. At this point, the template or skeleton that we developed together and used to build up the NLP application and the Covid-19 detection tool becomes our strongest friend. It is perfect for breaking down the problem into several sub-problems and assigning each one of these sub-problems to a specific function. The list of all the required functions will be displayed in the menu in the sidebar, letting the user select a specific function and proceed with the execution. We also saw that, in the template, there are already some nice decorators included, such as titles, icons and images.

If we want to be more specific, we can say that knowing how and when to use a web application template, such as the one we made together, is crucial for efficient and effective web application development.

Here’s a breakdown of how to use such a template:

• Installation and setup: After opening the template, you’ll find installation and setup instructions for the libraries. Follow these steps to create a project directory, install dependencies, and configure your development environment if needed.
• Customize content: Modify the template to fit your specific requirements. This may involve changing the user interface, adding or removing features, or altering the default content. Templates are typically designed to be customizable, so you can adapt them to your project’s needs.
• Add application logic: Implement the application’s business logic, which is the core functionality that differentiates your project from others. This may include data processing, calculations, data visualization, or any other tasks relevant to your application.
• Styling and theming: Customize the visual aspects of your application, such as colors, fonts, and layouts, to match your brand or design preferences. Many templates provide options for styling and theming.
• Testing: Thoroughly test your application to ensure that it works as intended and is free of bugs or issues. This includes testing user interactions, data handling, and responsiveness.
• Continuous improvement: As your application evolves, you can revisit the template to make updates or improvements. Templates are designed to be flexible and adaptable to accommodate changes in your project.

After knowing how to use a web application template, let’s see when to use one:

• Prototyping: Templates are excellent for quickly prototyping ideas. You can use a template as a starting point to visualize your concept and gather feedback.
• Learning and education: If you’re new to web development or a particular framework, such as Streamlit, templates can be educational. You can dissect a template’s code to learn how different components and features work.
• Rapid development: When time is limited, using the template can help you accelerate development. You can leverage pre-built components and functionalities to get your application off the ground faster.
• Consistency across projects: If you work on multiple projects or within a team, using templates can ensure consistency in design and structure. This is particularly valuable when maintaining a portfolio of applications.
• Focus on unique features: Templates handle common tasks and functionalities, allowing you to focus on implementing unique features or solving specific problems relevant to your project.

To summarize, the web application template/skeleton is a valuable tool for development, offering a structured and efficient approach to building web applications. Use it when you want to save time, ensure consistency, prototype ideas, or accelerate development. Also, customize it to meet your specific project requirements. The template is particularly beneficial when it aligns with your project goals and reduces the need to reinvent common components and functionalities.

The template is a fundamental way of staying organized and speeding up our work. Another extremely important feature is saving information in a database.