How to Call a Python Script from HTML

Integrating Python scripts with HTML allows you to create dynamic web applications. Whether you're building a data dashboard, processing form submissions, or automating tasks, calling Python from HTML is a powerful technique. In this guide, we'll explore the most popular and efficient methods using Flask, a lightweight Python web framework.

Method 1: Using Flask for Web Integration

Flask is a widely used micro-framework for Python that simplifies web development. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Install Flask

First, install Flask using pip:

pip install flask

Step 2: Create a Basic Flask App

Create a Python file (e.g., app.py) with the following code:

from flask import Flask, render_template, request

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/')
def home():
    return render_template('index.html')

@app.route('/run_script', methods=['POST'])
def run_script():
    # Your Python logic here
    result = "Script executed successfully!"
    return result

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(debug=True)

Step 3: Create an HTML File

In a templates folder, create index.html:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Call Python from HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Run Python Script</h1>
    <button onclick="fetch('/run_script', {method: 'POST'})
        .then(response => response.text())
        .then(data => alert(data))">
        Execute Script
    </button>
</body>
</html>

Method 2: Using CGI (Common Gateway Interface)

For simpler setups, CGI can be used to call Python scripts from HTML forms.

Step 1: Configure Your Web Server

Ensure your server supports CGI. For Apache, enable mod_cgi and set up a cgi-bin directory.

Step 2: Write a Python CGI Script

#!/usr/bin/env python3
print("Content-Type: text/html\n")
print("<h1>Hello from Python CGI!</h1>")

Step 3: Call the Script from HTML

<form action="/cgi-bin/script.py" method="POST">
    <input type="submit" value="Run Python Script">
</form>

Best Practices

Security: Always sanitise inputs when processing form data.
Error Handling: Use try-except blocks in Python to manage errors gracefully.
Performance: For heavy computations, consider background tasks with Celery.

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