AdminLTE Flask - Open-source dashboard

Hello coders,
This article presents AdminLTE Flask, an open-source admin dashboard template coded in Flask. For newcomers, AdminLTE is a well-known design actively supported by 150+ contributors and 35k Github stars. For newcomers, Flask is a lightweight web application framework written in Python. Sometimes classified as a microframework, Flask provides a lightweight codebase that can be easily extended to become an API, a simple web app, or a complex eCommerce platform. This Flask codebase is provided with basic modules, database, authentication and the permissive (MIT) license allows unlimited hobby and commercial projects.

---

Links

• AdminLTE Flask - product page
• More Flask Dashboards - a curated index

---

---

This simple starter can be used by beginners to add simple features and new pages on top of existing codebase provided with a short-list with features:

• Authentication, Database, Blueprints
• ORM, Alembic for migrations
• Deployment scripts: Heroku, Docker

In case you have issues, don't hesitate to ask me anything in the comments or chat with me on Discord.

---

What is Flask

Flask is a lightweight WSGI web application framework. It is designed to make getting started quick and easy, with the ability to scale up to complex applications. Classified as a microframework, Flask is written in Python and it does not require particular tools or libraries. It has no database abstraction layer, form validation, or any other components where pre-existing third-party libraries provide common functions.

Related Flask resources

• Flask - the official website
• Flask - A list of useful “HOW TO’s”

---

Development Environment

To use the stater, Python3 should be installed properly in the workstation. If you are not sure if Python is properly installed, please open a terminal and type python --version. The full-list with dependencies and tools required to build the app:

• Python3 - the programming language used to code the app
• GIT - used to clone the source code from the Github repository
• Basic development tools (g++ compiler, python development libraries ..etc) used by Python to compile the app dependencies in your environment.

How to check Python version (using the terminal)

$ # Check Python version
$ python --version
Python 3.7.2 # <--- All good

How to check GIT command tool (using the terminal)

$ # Check git
$ git --version
$ git version 2.10.1.windows.1 # <--- All good

For more information regarding the environment set up, feel free to access these short-list with tutorials:

• How to set up Python
• Setup CentOS for development
• Setup Ubuntu for development
• Setup Windows for development

---

AdminLTE Codebase Structure

Starter uses a simple codebase (no Blueprints) with a structure presented bellow:

< PROJECT ROOT >
   |
   |-- app/                    # Implements app logic
   |    |-- base/              # Base Blueprint - handles the authentication
   |    |-- home/              # Home Blueprint - serve UI Kit pages
   |    |
   |   __init__.py             # Initialize the app
   |
   |-- requirements.txt        # Development modules - SQLite storage
   |-- requirements-mysql.txt  # Production modules  - Mysql DMBS
   |-- requirements-pqsql.txt  # Production modules  - PostgreSql DMBS
   |
   |-- .env                    # Inject Configuration via Environment
   |-- config.py               # Set up the app
   |-- run.py                  # Start the app - WSGI gateway
   |
   |-- ************************

---

How to build AdminLTE Flask

To built and start the app locally, follow the steps:

Get the source code

• Download the ZIP from Github: AdminLTE Flask - Sources
• Using GIT tool in the terminal to clone the source code

Change the current directory to source code directory.

Clone/download the sources

$ # Get the code
$ git clone https://github.com/app-generator/flask-dashboard-adminlte.git
$ cd flask-dashboard-adminlte

---

Set up the environment

$ # Virtualenv modules installation (Unix based systems)
$ virtualenv env
$ source env/bin/activate
$
$ # Virtualenv modules installation (Windows based systems)
$ # virtualenv env
$ # .\env\Scripts\activate

---

Install modules

$ # Install modules - SQLite Database
$ pip3 install -r requirements.txt

---

Start the Flask application

$ # Set the FLASK_APP environment variable
$ export FLASK_APP=run.py
$
$ # Start the application (development mode)
$ flask run
$
$ # Access the dashboard in browser: http://127.0.0.1:5000/

At this point, we should be able to access the dashboard in the browser. To unlock the private pages, let's create a new user via the registration page and authenticate.

AdminLTE Flask - Main dashboard page

---

AdminLTE Flask - Calendar page

---

AdminLTE Flask - Charts Page

---

Thanks for reading! Feel free to ask me anything in the comments:

• AdminLTE Flask - product page
• AdminLTE Flask - Demo - LIVE deployment