Description:
The Biggest Gists Blog is a dynamic, database-driven web application developed using Flask and SQLAlchemy. It allows users to create, read, comment on, edit, and delete blog posts in a secure and structured environment. The system is built with role-based access control, where only the admin can create or manage posts, while authenticated users can add comments.
The platform integrates Flask-Login for user authentication, Werkzeug for password hashing, and a manually implemented Gravatar feature for displaying user profile images. The blog supports multiple pages including Home, About, and Contact, and dynamically loads content from a relational database.
With a responsive front-end powered by Bootstrap-Flask, the application ensures a clean, user-friendly interface for both desktop and mobile users.
Objectives:
- To develop a fully functional blog system with CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) capabilities.
- To implement secure user registration and login using Flask-Login and password hashing.
- To apply role-based authorization for admin-only access to post creation, editing, and deletion.
- To design a modular Flask architecture with reusable templates and forms.
- To showcase integration of SQLAlchemy ORM for relational database management.
- To demonstrate use of environment variables for sensitive credentials management via
.env.
Tools used:
Flask (Python), Bootstrap-Flask, Jinja2 Templates, SQLAlchemy ORM, Flask-Login, Werkzeug Security, Git/GitHub, Python 3.x
Stake holders:
- Developer: Ibidapo Ogundeji
- End Users: Bloggers, content creators, and general readers.
- Admin User: Website owner (authorized to manage posts and content).
- Potential Stakeholders: Small businesses or professionals seeking a custom blog CMS.
Role Played:
Full-Stack Developer & System Architect
- Designed and developed the complete Flask application.
- Implemented user authentication, password encryption, and admin-only access controls.
- Created modular Jinja templates (
header.html, footer.html, etc.) for maintainability. - Integrated SQLAlchemy ORM models (
Users, BlogPost, Comments) with foreign key relationships. - Built comment management and Gravatar integration for personalized user engagement.
- Set up
.env configuration and database initialization for secure deployment. - Conducted end-to-end testing to ensure form validation, routing accuracy, and data persistence.
Business Impacts:
- Demonstrates practical web development and database management skills, enhancing portfolio credibility.
- Serves as a reusable blogging framework for future projects or client websites.
- Can be adapted for corporate news portals, community forums, or content-driven platforms.
- Improves digital presence and communication for businesses by enabling easy publishing of updates.
- Highlights capabilities in user authentication, session management, and secure web design — key for enterprise-grade systems.
Next Step:
- Add Email Notification System – Notify users when new comments or posts are published.
- Implement Rich Text Editor (Quill) – Enhance blog post formatting for authors.
- Enable Image Uploads – Allow posts to include custom images from local uploads.
- Add Pagination – Display posts in pages for better performance and navigation.
- Introduce Categories/Tags – Enable topic-based filtering for improved content organization.
- Analytics Dashboard – Provide metrics on post views, user activity, and comment engagement.
- Migrate to PostgreSQL – Improve scalability and production readiness.
- Deploy with Continuous Integration (CI/CD) – Automate testing and deployment to production.
Duration:
14 days
Team size:
1
Project Link
