Vesta Web Framework
A batteries-included Python web framework for building full-stack web applications — with routing, PostgreSQL ORM, authentication, mailing, WebSockets and a companion JavaScript library, all in one package.
What is Vesta?
Vesta turns a plain Python class into an HTTP server. You decorate methods with
@Server.expose and they become routes. Query parameters are injected
directly as keyword arguments. No URL patterns to write, no request objects to parse.
from vesta import Server
class App(Server):
@Server.expose
def index(self):
return "<h1>Hello!</h1>"
@Server.expose
def api_greet(self, name="World"):
return f"Hello, {name}!"
App(path=__file__, configFile="/server.ini")A GET to /api_greet?name=Alice returns Hello, Alice!.
That's the whole routing model.
Features
Routing
Decorator-based routes. Method names become URL paths. Parameters auto-injected.
Query Builder
PostgreSQL ORM with simple dict-based CRUD and a filter chain for complex queries.
UniAuth
Shared authentication database with JWT, bcrypt, email verification and password reset.
Mailing
SMTP + DKIM email sending with HTML templates.
WebSockets
Real-time bidirectional messaging with an authenticated client pool.
JS Framework
Frontend library for XHR, reactive state, navigation, templating and i18n.
CLI
vesta init scaffolds a project. Commands for DB, Nginx and systemd setup.
Secure defaults
HttpOnly cookies, SameSite=Strict, DKIM, bcrypt, path traversal protection.
Installation
pip install vesta-webServer types
Choose the right base class for your project:
| Class | When to use | Includes |
|---|---|---|
BaseServer |
Static sites, simple APIs | Routing, file serving, cookies |
Server |
Full-stack apps with users | Everything above + DB, UniAuth, Mailing |
features = {"websockets": True} regardless of which base class you use.
Architecture overview
A Vesta app is a single Python file. The App class inherits from
Server (or BaseServer), declares its routes as methods,
and calls itself at the bottom to start the server.
from vesta import Server, HTTPError, HTTPRedirect
from os.path import abspath, dirname
import json
PATH = dirname(abspath(__file__))
class App(Server):
features = {
"errors": {404: "/static/404.html"}
}
@Server.expose
def index(self):
return self.file(PATH + "/static/index.html")
@Server.expose
def api_posts(self):
self.response.type = "json"
posts = self.db.getAll("posts", None, selector="id")
return json.dumps(posts)
App(path=PATH, configFile="/server.ini")