sbshah97 / url-shortener

This is a simple URL shortener implemented in Python using Flask. The application allows you to shorten long URLs and retrieve the original URLs using the provided shortened versions.

URL Shortener Flask App

Overview

This is a simple URL shortener implemented in Python using Flask. The application allows you to shorten long URLs and retrieve the original URLs using the provided shortened versions.

Features

Question: Developing a Basic URL Shortener with Python Flask

Step 1: Set up the URL shortening service with a global variable

• Create a simple HTTP server using Python Flask.
• Implement an API endpoint that responds to a POST request, accepting a long URL, generating a shortened version, and returning it.
• Initially, store the shortened URL in a global variable.

Step 2: Refactor to store shortened URLs in an in-memory database

• Expand your URL shortener to store shortened URLs in an in-memory database instead of a global variable.
• Modify the API endpoint to retrieve and return the shortened URL from the database.
• Write unit tests to ensure the correctness of the URL shortening and retrieval processes.

Step 3: Add validation and error handling

• Enhance your URL shortener by adding input validation for creating and updating shortened URLs in the database.
• Implement error handling to gracefully manage scenarios such as invalid requests.
• Write additional tests to validate the error-handling mechanisms.

Step 4: Implement advanced features and corresponding tests

• Extend your URL shortener to include an analytics endpoint that provides basic statistics about a shortened URL (e.g., number of clicks).
• Update your in-memory database handling to support the analytics feature.
• Develop tests to verify the correct functioning of both the basic and advanced features.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Python 3.x
• Docker (optional, for containerized deployment)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/url-shortener.git
   cd url-shortener

2. Create a virtual environment (optional but recommended):

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows, use 'venv\Scripts\activate'

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Running Locally

python app.py

The app will be accessible at http://localhost:5000. Use API endpoints like /shorten and /{short_url} to interact with the URL shortener.

Running with Docker

docker-compose up --build

Access the app at http://localhost:5000.

API Documentation

For detailed API documentation, refer to the OpenAPI Specification (openapi.yml).

Running Tests

make test

Contributing

If you'd like to contribute to this project, please follow the Contributing Guidelines.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

---