what are python web frameworks

Question

I've asked this question on some places but I never get a completely straight answer. I've heard a lot about web frameworks and only know a basic understanding. Okay is a web framework installed on top of server architecture like apache or is it its own thing? I've read a good amount about web frameworks and I like what I read, but I only have access to simple free apache web hosts. Python works on it because I've tested it but I don't have a whole lot of freedom on it to install different kinds of software and such.

• Asaph: If you're using Python, Django is the leading framework at this time -- djangoproject.com
• S.Lott: "but I never get a completely straight answer"? What parts confuse you? Or is that what the rest of the question is? Perhaps you could leave this out, since it doesn't help us answer the rest of your question.
• Jonas: possible duplicate of What exactly is a web application framework?

Answer 1

It can be "its own thing", meaning it can listen on a port and service requests without Apache; or it can run under Apache or any other web server, for example as a CGI script. For an easy-to-swallow overview, see http://bitworking.org/news/Why_so_many_Python_web_frameworks

Also see What exactly is a web application framework?, it answers a very similar question.

• Isaiah: I got more answers on what it was then. I want to know here whether I have to install software, as I can't install anything. I can only put up scripts to run, as I have to use the apache software already installed. I didn't see the need to bring back an old question that was more general for this specific thing I'd like to know.
• jcomeau_ictx: ok then, the answer is that you may need to install some things: see joemaller.com/1467/django-via-cgi-on-shared-hosting but it looks as though the command-line stuff can also be done via CGI scripts. and a smaller framework like Flask might be a lot more suitable for this than Django.

Answer 2

A web framework is a toolkit designed to make working with HTTP requests within a certain language easier. It usually provides things like URL routing and HTML templating, and may optionally provide a ORM. It may or may not come with its own web server. On Python they are usually written to WSGI, of which there are plenty of containers.