bottle

bottle Best Practices

Bottle is a robust micro-framework for Python backends. To leverage it effectively in 2025, adhere to these opinionated guidelines, focusing on structure, maintainability, and security.

1. Code Organization and Structure

Organize your Bottle project as a Python package with a clear separation of concerns. Avoid monolithic app.py files.

✅ GOOD: Modular Project Structure

my_bottle_app/
├── app.py              # Application entry point, config loading, plugin setup
├── routes/             # API endpoint definitions
│   ├── __init__.py
│   └── users.py
│   └── products.py
├── services/           # Business logic, database interactions
│   ├── __init__.py
│   └── user_service.py
│   └── product_service.py
├── schemas/            # Pydantic models for request/response validation
│   ├── __init__.py
│   └── user_schema.py
├── config/             # Configuration files (e.g., default.ini)
│   └── default.ini
├── tests/              # Unit and integration tests
│   └── test_users.py
└── requirements.txt

❌ BAD: Monolithic app.py

# app.py (❌ BAD)
from bottle import route, run, request, Bottle

app = Bottle()

# All routes, logic, and config in one file
@app.route('/users', method='GET')
def get_users():
    # ... database logic, business logic, everything here ...
    return {'users': []}

# ... many more routes and intertwined logic ...

if __name__ == '__main__':
    run(app, host='localhost', port=8080)

✅ GOOD: Structured app.py and routes/users.py

# my_bottle_app/app.py (✅ GOOD)
import os
from bottle import Bottle, run
from my_bottle_app.routes import users
from my_bottle_app.plugins.db import DatabasePlugin # Example plugin

app = Bottle()

# 1. Load default config
app.config.load_config('my_bottle_app/config/default.ini')

# 2. Override with environment variables
app.config['database.url'] = os.environ.get('DATABASE_URL', app.config.get('database.url'))
app.config['debug'] = bool(os.environ.get('DEBUG', app.config.get('debug', False)))

# 3. Install plugins
app.install(DatabasePlugin(app.config['database.url']))

# 4. Mount route modules
app.mount('/users', users.app) # users.app is a Bottle instance from routes/users.py

if __name__ == '__main__':
    run(app, host='0.0.0.0', port=8080, debug=app.config['debug'])