How to Create a Cool Data View with Python and ReactJS Using Solara

Hey there! If you’re looking to whip up a snazzy data view using Python and React, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re diving into Solara, a framework that makes it super easy to create interactive applications without needing to be a front-end wizard. So, grab your favorite drink, and let’s get started!

This is not being sponsored at all by Solara btw, just sharing something cool I've recently discovered.

What’s Solara Anyway?

Solara is like a magic bridge between Python and React. It allows you to build interactive web applications using Python while still harnessing the power of React for your user interface. It’s perfect for those who love Python but want to create something visually appealing without getting lost in JavaScript.

Getting Started: Setting Up Your Environment

Before we dive into coding, let’s make sure you have everything set up:

1. Install Solara: First things first, you need to install Solara. Open your terminal and run:

   pip install solara

1. Create Your Project Directory:

   mkdir my-solara-app
   cd my-solara-app

1. Set Up a Basic Solara App: Create a new file called app.py and add this simple code:

   import solara

   @solara.component
   def App():
       return solara.h1("Welcome to My Data View!")

   if __name__ == "__main__":
       solara.run(App)

1. Run Your Application: Now, let’s see it in action! Run this command:

   python app.py

Open your browser and head over to http://localhost:8080, and voilà! You should see your app!

Adding Some React Magic

While Solara has some built-in components, sometimes you want to jazz things up with your own React components. Let’s do that!

1. Create a React Component: In your project folder, create a new folder called frontend and add a file named DataView.js:

   import React from 'react';

   const DataView = ({ data }) => {
       return (
           <div>
               <h2>Data View</h2>
               <ul>
                   {data.map((item, index) => (
                       <li key={index}>{item}</li>
                   ))}
               </ul>
           </div>
       );
   };

   export default DataView;

1. Connect Your React Component to Solara: Update your app.py file to include the React component:

   import solara
   from solara.react import use_react

   @solara.component
   def App():
       data = ["Item 1", "Item 2", "Item 3"]
       DataView = use_react("DataView")
       return solara.Column(
           [
               solara.h1("Welcome to My Data View!"),
               DataView(data=data),
           ]
       )

   if __name__ == "__main__":
       solara.run(App)

Fetching Data from an API

Let’s make things more exciting by fetching some real data from an API. Here’s how you can do that:

1. Fetch Data: Modify your App component to pull data from an API (let’s use a placeholder API for fun):

   import requests

   @solara.component
   def App():
       response = requests.get("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts")
       data = response.json()
       titles = [post["title"] for post in data]

       DataView = use_react("DataView")
       return solara.Column(
           [
               solara.h1("Welcome to My Data View!"),
               DataView(data=titles),
           ]
       )

Time to Deploy!

Once you’re happy with your app, it’s time to share it with the world! Here’s how you can deploy it using Heroku:

1. Create a requirements.txt File:

   solara
   requests

1. Create a Procfile:

   web: python app.py

1. Deploying on Heroku:
   • Initialize a Git repository in your project folder.
   • Create a new Heroku app.
   • Push your code to Heroku.

Wrapping It Up

And there you have it! You’ve just created a cool data view application using Python, React, and Solara. This setup gives you python power while still creating an engaging user interface with React.

Check out the Solara Showcase.
Happy coding! 🎉