Introduction
Welcome to this comprehensive guide on creating a frappe app scaffold using the bench CLI. Our feature of focus, Create App, is an integral part of the Empress software development suite. It provides a streamlined process for initializing new applications, which facilitates rapid development and customization.
Understanding the Create App Feature
The Create App feature is a command-line tool that provides a structured approach to initialize new applications within the Empress framework. Its primary function is to generate a standard directory and file scaffold, which developers can then modify and expand as required.
Application Initialization
To initialize a new application, we must first ensure that we are working within a bench directory. This can be confirmed by running the bench find . command in the terminal:
$ bench find .
/home/frappe/frappe-bench is a bench directory!
Once we have confirmed our current directory, we can proceed to create our Library Management app by running the new-app command:
$ bench new-app library_management
During the app initialization process, you will be prompted to provide details about your app. Once provided, the app named library_management will be created in the apps folder:
App Title (default: Library Management):
App Description: Library Management System
App Publisher: Faris Ansari
App Email: faris@example.com
App Icon (default 'octicon octicon-file-directory'):
App Color (default 'grey'):
App License (default 'MIT'):
'library_management' created at /home/frappe/frappe-bench/apps/library_management
Installing library_management
$ ./env/bin/pip install -q -U -e ./apps/library_management
$ bench build --app library_management
App Directory Structure
Following successful initialization, your Library Management app directory should appear as follows:
apps/library_management
├── README.md
├── library_management
│ ├── hooks.py
│ ├── library_management
│ │ └── __init__.py
│ ├── modules.txt
│ ├── patches.txt
│ ├── public
│ │ ├── css
│ │ └── js
│ ├── templates
│ │ ├── __init__.py
│ │ ├── includes
│ │ └── pages
│ │ └── __init__.py
│ └── www
└── pyproject.toml
Here are brief descriptions of the key directories and files:
- library_management: Contains the source code for your app.
- public: Houses static files served from Nginx in production.
- templates: Contains Jinja templates used to render web views.
- www: Serves web pages based on their directory path.
- library_management: The default module bootstrapped with the app.
- modules.txt: Lists the modules defined in the app.
- patches.txt: Contains patch entries for database migrations.
- hooks.py: Contains hooks to extend or intercept standard functionality provided by the framework.
- pyproject.toml: Specifies how your app is built.
Conclusion
The Create App feature is a powerful tool for initializing new applications within the Empress framework. It simplifies the setup process, allowing developers to focus on the core functionality of their apps. By understanding and mastering this feature, developers can significantly enhance their productivity and efficiency in developing and customizing business solutions.