Modular monolith blueprint

For years, we were all in a bubble trying to solve most of our use of micro user problems.

Nowadays, the drawbacks of microservices, such as increased complexity, make other approaches more suitable.

The modular monolith approach is gaining some serious momentum because it hits the sweet spot between the traditional monolithic architecture's simplicity and microservices architecture's flexibility. It offers a scalable, straightforward way to develop applications, making it particularly appealing when rapid development and deployment are essential.

Our Journey with FastAPI

Our FastAPI Modular Monolith Blueprint is a testament to the framework's versatility and ability to support scalable, efficient, and, importantly, maintainable web applications. This blueprint is designed to give you a solid foundation, propelling your projects into the future.

This article will cover up-to-date FastAPI modular monolith architecture:

• explore the FastAPI key features and how it stands tall among other frameworks
• break down the modular monolith architecture
• understand why it’s a robust strategy for modern application development
• start with the ideal project structure
• cover the advanced features and practices: testing and scalability deployment
• explore the tools you need to build with confidence and clarity.

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Understanding FastAPI

FastAPI at a Glance

FastAPI is a modern web framework focused on high performance. It is designed specifically for building APIs, leveraging standard Python type hints.

Why FastAPI?

So, what makes FastAPI the go-to choice for a modular monolith approach? Let's break it down:

• Performance: It's fast. Fast. Thanks to Starlette for the web parts and Pydantic for the data parts, it's one of the fastest web frameworks available.
• Ease of Use: Its design, heavily influenced by Flask, makes it intuitive for developers while providing the advanced features you'd expect from a modern framework.
• Automatic API Documentation: FastAPI generates interactive API documentation automatically. This means less time writing documentation and more time coding.
• Type Hints: By leveraging Python's type hints, FastAPI ensures cleaner code that is less prone to errors.

Compared to the Rest

When placed side by side with other popular frameworks like Flask and Django, FastAPI shines for API-centric applications.

While Flask offers simplicity and flexibility and Django provides a robust full-stack batteries-included framework, FastAPI stands out for its asynchronous capabilities and automatic API documentation.

FastAPI offers a sweet spot for developers looking for speed, efficiency, and scalability, all wrapped up in a user-friendly package. It's a testament to how far web development has come and a nod to where it's heading.

Please read along to see how FastAPI elevates this architecture, making it future-proof.

Modular Monolith Architecture

Let's unpack the concept of modular monolith architecture, which feels more like assembling a LEGO set than tackling a daunting tech puzzle.

The Best of Both Worlds

The charm of the Modular Monolith approach is like enjoying the simplicity of a single-story house while revealing the distinctiveness of each room.

This approach is gaining traction for several reasons: scalability, simplicity, and the ability to rapidly develop and deploy services without getting bogged down in the complexities often associated with microservices architectures.

Harness the simplicity and ease of a monolithic structure without sacrificing the separation of concerns offered by modules. Think of it as managing a collection of interrelated yet independently functioning mini-applications within a larger ecosystem.

Why Modular with FastAPI?

Here's why using FastAPI with a modular monolith can elevate it:

• Structured Yet Segregated: FastAPI's ingenious use of routers and dependency injection mechanisms is the perfect conduit for creating distinct yet interconnected modules. Each component remains an island of functionality, making the entire application more accessible to navigate, debug, and maintain.
• Scalability on Your Terms: Start simple and expand when needed, module by module, without constant refactoring. You can scale your application horizontally as your user base or feature set expands.
• Maintain Speed, Gain Efficiency: Leverage FastAPI's perks of high-speed response times and optimal performance to ensure your application scales smoothly.

Crafting Your Modular Monolith with FastAPI

Venturing into constructing a modular monolith with FastAPI might seem daunting but surprisingly straightforward. Here's a scaffold to get you started:

• Blueprint Your Application: Identify the core functionalities (modules) your application will need. This could range from user authentication to payment processing, each serving as a standalone module within the larger framework of your application.
• Use Routers and Dependency Injection: FastAPI's routers allow you to neatly organize your API endpoints by module, ensuring a clean separation of concerns. Dependency injection, on the other hand, helps you weave standard functionalities across these modules, eliminating redundancy and fostering code reuse.
• Fortify Your Core: The shared kernel, or the heart of your modular monolith, should be robust. It should house standard utilities and functions that are essential across different modules. It's the glue that holds your application together, ensuring consistency and efficiency in operation.

The Strategic Edge

Opting for a modular monolith architecture is a strategic decision. It positions you to evolve and adapt your application with agility, leveraging FastAPI's strengths to streamline development and enhance performance.

Crafting a Modular Monolith with FastAPI

Imagine we're building Conduit, a clone of Medium, but with our twist. Like any robust application, Conduit needs a solid foundation, and that's where FastAPI's Modular Monolith Blueprint comes into play.

We're not just going to talk about theories; we'll apply them to real-world scenarios. Let's see how this blueprint transforms Conduit from a mere idea into a structured, scalable application.

Structuring Conduit with FastAPI

At its heart, Conduit is about sharing ideas through articles, interacting with them through comments, and connecting with others. To manage this effectively, we break down Conduit into several modules: Users, Articles, and Comments. Each module represents a core functionality of our application.

Project Structure

In FastAPI, our project structure is the backbone of the modular monolith. For Conduit:

• Users Module: Handles user registration, authentication, and profiles.
• Articles Module: Manages article creation, updates, listing, and categorization.
• Comments Module: Deals with adding, deleting, and viewing article comments.

Each module acts like a self-contained mini-application, complete with its models, schemas, services, and routes. This separation ensures that changes in one module don't ripple uncontrollably through others.

Shared Kernel and Service Layer

Shared Kernel: Consider it the communal area where all modules can pick up the necessary tools and utilities. It includes user authentication utilities, base model definitions, and standard exceptions. It's a central library where every module checks out what it needs but returns it for others to use.

Service Layer: Each module has its service layer, a middleman that interprets the complex language of business logic into simple operations.

For instance, the Articles service layer might handle operations like "publish article" or "archive article," which involve more than just a straightforward database call.

Implementing Conduit with FastAPI

Here’s a quick peek into how:

• API Routers: Each module has its API router. The Articles module, for example, would have routes for posting a new article, fetching articles, etc. FastAPI's routers make keeping these endpoints neatly organized within each module easy.
• Dependency Injection: FastAPI’s dependency injection system is a game-changer for sharing standard functionality. The database connection, for example, is injected into routes that need it, ensuring we don't repeat ourselves or bloat our code.

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Modular monolith blueprint - by Bogdan Veliscu - 20 April 2024 - Watch Video

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