A simple web application that shortens URLs. This URL Shortener allows users to send a POST request with a long URL and receive a shortened version for easy access.
URL Shortener is implemented using: A Back End Flask server.
Setting up and running the URL Shortener:
Setting up a Virtual Environment
Step 1: To begin, you must first create a virtual environment. Use the following command:
python3 -m venv yourvenv
Note: Replace yourvenv with the name of your choice for the virtual environment.
Step 2: Activate the virtual environment. Use the following command:
source yourvenv/bin/activate
source yourvenv/Scripts/activate
Note: Replace yourvenv with the virtual environment name you used.
Installing Requirements
After activating the virtual environment, install the required dependencies using the following command:
pip3 install -r requirements.txt
Running the Back End Flask Server Step 1: Start the Flask server by running the following command:
python3 app.py Sending a POST Request to Shorten a URL Step 1: Once the Flask server is running, you can shorten a URL by sending a POST request. Use the following command:
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"url":"https://www.example.com"}' http://127.0.0.1:5000/shorten
Note: Replace "https://www.example.com" with the URL you want to shorten.
Receiving the Shortened URL
After sending the POST request, you will receive a JSON response containing the shortened URL. For example, if you receive the following response:
{"short_url":"http://127.0.0.1:5000/abc123"}
You can access the shortened URL in your browser by visiting:
Requirements: Python 3.6 or higher Additional Notes: Ensure that the correct version of Python is installed. Linux, Mac, and WSL developers should use python3 for all Python commands.