Language and Framework Guides
Run a Python Container App

5min
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Docker is a technology that allows you to package and run applications in containers. Back4App Containers are based on Docker technology and use Docker containers to isolate and run the applications. This provides several benefits, such as improved performance, enhanced security, and simplified deployment and scaling.
To run a Python application in a Back4app Containers, you need to create a Dockerfile that contains the instructions for building the image. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a Dockerfile for a Python application.
At anytime if you want to check a sample working Flask project on Back4app containers go to : https://github.com/templates-back4app/containers-python-flask-sample﻿
1- Choose a Base Image: The first step is to choose a base image for your Dockerfile. For Python applications, you can use a Python image as the base image. You can choose a specific version of Python by specifying the tag in the image name. For example, to use Python version 3.8, the first line of your Dockerfile would be:
Dockerfile
FROM python:3.8
FROM python:3.8
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2- Set the Working Directory: Next, you need to set the working directory in the container where the application files will be located. You can use the WORKDIR instruction to set the working directory. For example:
Dockerfile
WORKDIR /app
WORKDIR /app
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3- Copy the Application Files: Now, you need to copy the application files into the working directory. You can use the COPY instruction to copy the files. For example:
Dockerfile
COPY . /app
COPY . /app
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4- Install Dependencies: In order to run the application, you need to install its dependencies. You can use the pip install command to install the dependencies. You can run the command in the Dockerfile using the RUN instruction. For example:
Dockerfile
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
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Note: The above command assumes that you have a requirements.txt file that lists the dependencies for your Python application.
5- Define the Entry Point: The last step is to define the entry point for the container, which is the command that will be run when the container starts. For Python applications, you can use a Python command to run the main script of your application. For example:
Dockerfile
CMD ["python", "main.py"]
CMD ["python", "main.py"]
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Note: The above command assumes that you have a main.py file that is the main script of your Python application.
Here is the complete Dockerfile for a simple Node.js application:
Dockerfile
FROM python:3.8
WORKDIR /app
COPY . /app
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
CMD ["python", "main.py"]
FROM python:3.8
WORKDIR /app
COPY . /app
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
CMD ["python", "main.py"]
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Once you have created the Dockerfile, you need to paste it on your projet root or on any folder(just specify that on the Root parameter on App Settings) and create or re-deploy your Application. Back4app will create a Docker image based on this file and a Container using this image. This way, you can run your Node.js application in a Bak4app Containers.
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Updated 01 Jul 2024
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