Hi Guys!
Today, I’ll be referring to two of my old posts & enhance one of them to create a basic online check-in app by integrating with Python. The best thing is – “All the components that will be in use already built using native Python code.”
And, probably, this will be the perfect tribute to growing Python fan-followers, who make this thing a reality.
We’ll be using the following API, which I shared in my previous post.
However, note that – to create any API environment better, one needs to use event-hub-based design & publish & consume events from there, instead of directly calling one microservice/API from another.
We need to use the following packages –
pip install briefcase
pip install requests
Apart from it you need to use JSON library as well.
The following steps are required to create this online check-in application –
STEP -1:
mkdir online_checkin cd online_checkin
STEP -2:
python3 -m venv env source env/bin/activate
STEP -3:
You need to install the desired packages mentioned above.
It should look something like –

STEP -4:
Now, we have to execute the following command to initiate the project –
briefcase new
This will prompt to fill-up a set of inputs to configure the project as shown in the below screenshot –


To check whether all the settings correctly captured or not, one can issue the following command –
briefcase dev<p value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">If all the settings are correct, then a blank canvas iOS app will launch using the native Python code, which should look -If all the settings are correct, then a blank canvas iOS app will launch using the native Python code, which should look – <p value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">

The above command will generate a series of directories & template python scripts.
Now, we are going to modify the app.py generated as part of the initial project creation.
- app.py ( This iOS app will invoke online check-in API to receive the inputs & confirm the status based on the inputs selected by the passengers. )
################################################ #### #### #### Written By: SATYAKI DE #### #### Written On: 24-Nov-2020 #### #### Briefcase, Toga, json, requests needs #### #### to install to run this package. #### #### #### #### Objective: This script will create a #### #### native I/OS App using native Python. #### #### #### ################################################ """ Calling Azure Microservice from Native Mobile App """ import toga from toga.style import Pack from toga.style.pack import COLUMN, ROW import requests import json class online_checkin(toga.App): def startup(self): """ Construct and show the Toga application. Usually, you would add your application to a main content box. We then create a main window (with a name matching the app), and show the main window. """ main_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=COLUMN)) # Adding Individual Layout details name_label = toga.Label("Full Name", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.name_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) name_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) name_box.add(name_label) name_box.add(self.name_input) mobile_label = toga.Label("Mobile", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.mobile_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) mobile_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) mobile_box.add(mobile_label) mobile_box.add(self.mobile_input) email_label = toga.Label("Email", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.email_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) email_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) email_box.add(email_label) email_box.add(self.email_input) source_label = toga.Label("Source Airport", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.source_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) source_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) source_box.add(source_label) source_box.add(self.source_input) destination_label = toga.Label("Destination Airport", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.destination_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) destination_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) destination_box.add(destination_label) destination_box.add(self.destination_input) boardingclass_label = toga.Label("Boarding Class", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.boardingclass_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) boardingclass_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) boardingclass_box.add(boardingclass_label) boardingclass_box.add(self.boardingclass_input) preferredSeatNo_label = toga.Label("Preferred Seat", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.preferredSeatNo_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) preferredSeatNo_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) preferredSeatNo_box.add(preferredSeatNo_label) preferredSeatNo_box.add(self.preferredSeatNo_input) mealBreakfast_label = toga.Label("Breakfast Choice", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.mealBreakfast_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) mealBreakfast_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) mealBreakfast_box.add(mealBreakfast_label) mealBreakfast_box.add(self.mealBreakfast_input) mealLunch_label = toga.Label("Lunch Choice", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.mealLunch_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) mealLunch_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) mealLunch_box.add(mealLunch_label) mealLunch_box.add(self.mealLunch_input) mealDinner_label = toga.Label("Dinner Choice", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.mealDinner_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) mealDinner_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) mealDinner_box.add(mealDinner_label) mealDinner_box.add(self.mealDinner_input) passPort_label = toga.Label("Passport Details", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.passPort_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) passPort_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) passPort_box.add(passPort_label) passPort_box.add(self.passPort_input) localAddress_label = toga.Label("Local Address", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.localAddress_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) localAddress_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) localAddress_box.add(localAddress_label) localAddress_box.add(self.localAddress_input) bookingNo_label = toga.Label("Confirmed Booking No", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.bookingNo_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) bookingNo_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) bookingNo_box.add(bookingNo_label) bookingNo_box.add(self.bookingNo_input) # End Of Layout details boardingStatus_box_label = toga.Label("Boarding Status", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.boardingStatus_box_input = toga.MultilineTextInput(readonly=True, style=Pack(flex=1)) boardingStatus_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) boardingStatus_box.add(boardingStatus_box_label) boardingStatus_box.add(self.boardingStatus_box_input) button = toga.Button("On-Board Now", on_press=self.onBoarding, style=Pack(padding=5)) # Adding all the visual layout in the main frame main_box.add(name_box) main_box.add(mobile_box) main_box.add(email_box) main_box.add(source_box) main_box.add(destination_box) main_box.add(boardingclass_box) main_box.add(preferredSeatNo_box) main_box.add(mealBreakfast_box) main_box.add(mealLunch_box) main_box.add(mealDinner_box) main_box.add(passPort_box) main_box.add(localAddress_box) main_box.add(bookingNo_box) main_box.add(button) main_box.add(boardingStatus_box) # End Of Main Frame self.main_window = toga.MainWindow(title=self.formal_name) self.main_window.content = main_box self.main_window.show() def onBoarding(self, widget): BASE_URL = "https://xxxxxxxxxx.yyyyyyyy.net/api/getOnBoarding" openmapapi_cache = "no-cache" openmapapi_con = "keep-alive" type = "application/json" querystring = { "sourceLeg": self.source_input.value, "destinationLeg": self.destination_input.value, "boardingClass": self.boardingclass_input.value, "preferredSeatNo": self.preferredSeatNo_input.value, "travelPassport": self.passPort_input.value , "bookingNo": self.bookingNo_input.value, "travelerEmail": self.email_input.value, "travelerMobile": self.mobile_input.value, "mealBreakFast": self.mealBreakfast_input.value , "mealLunch": self.mealLunch_input.value, "mealDinner": self.mealDinner_input.value, "localAddress": self.localAddress_input.value } payload = json.dumps(querystring) print('Input Payload: ') print(payload) headers = { 'content-type': type, 'Cache-Control': openmapapi_cache, 'Connection': openmapapi_con } response = requests.request("POST", BASE_URL, headers=headers, data=payload) ResJson = response.text #jdata = json.dumps(ResJson) resp = json.loads(ResJson) print('Response JSON:') print(resp) details = resp["description"].strip() status = str(resp["status"]).strip() sourceAirport = str(resp["sourceLeg"]).strip() destinationAirport = str(resp["destinationLeg"]).strip() boardingClass = str(resp["boardingClass"]).strip() confirmedSeat = str(resp["confirmedSeatNo"]).strip() try: self.boardingStatus_box_input.value = f'Please find the update on your itenary -> Source - {sourceAirport} to Destination - {destinationAirport} - ' \ f'Boarding Class - {boardingClass} - Confirmed Seat - {confirmedSeat} and ' \ f'the summary is as follows - {details} - Status - {status}' except ValueError: self.boardingStatus_box_input.value = "Some technical issue occured. We are working on it." def main(): return online_checkin()
Let us explore the key snippet –
name_label = toga.Label("Full Name", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.name_input = toga.TextInput(style=Pack(flex=1)) name_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) name_box.add(name_label) name_box.add(self.name_input)
From the above snippet, the program is building the input textbox on the iOS frame for the user input. This is more of a designing point of view. Other languages have sophisticated UI, which can generate similar kind of codes in the background. Unfortunately, Python still needs to grow in that aspect. However, if you think about the journey – it has progressed a lot.
# Adding all the visual layout in the main frame main_box.add(name_box)
The above line finally stitches the widgets into the visual panel of the iOS app.
boardingStatus_box_label = toga.Label("Boarding Status", style=Pack(padding=(0, 5))) self.boardingStatus_box_input = toga.MultilineTextInput(readonly=True, style=Pack(flex=1)) boardingStatus_box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=ROW, padding=5)) boardingStatus_box.add(boardingStatus_box_label) boardingStatus_box.add(self.boardingStatus_box_input) button = toga.Button("On-Board Now", on_press=self.onBoarding, style=Pack(padding=5))
The above code first designs the button on the app & then it is tied with the “onBoarding” methods, which will invoke the API that we’ve already developed.
def onBoarding(self, widget): BASE_URL = "https://xxxxxxxxxx.yyyyyyyy.net/api/getOnBoarding" openmapapi_cache = "no-cache" openmapapi_con = "keep-alive" type = "application/json" querystring = { "sourceLeg": self.source_input.value, "destinationLeg": self.destination_input.value, "boardingClass": self.boardingclass_input.value, "preferredSeatNo": self.preferredSeatNo_input.value, "travelPassport": self.passPort_input.value , "bookingNo": self.bookingNo_input.value, "travelerEmail": self.email_input.value, "travelerMobile": self.mobile_input.value, "mealBreakFast": self.mealBreakfast_input.value , "mealLunch": self.mealLunch_input.value, "mealDinner": self.mealDinner_input.value, "localAddress": self.localAddress_input.value } payload = json.dumps(querystring)
The above few lines framing an input JSON for our API & then invoke it & finally receive & parse the JSON to display the appropriate message on the iOS app.
The following image will show you the directory structure & also how the code should look. This will help you to map & understand the overall project.

Let’s test our API –

Now, we’re ready to test our iOS app.
You need to run the application locally as shown in the below image –

As you can see that it is successfully able to fetch the API response & then parse it & populate the Boarding Status box marked in “Blue“.
Let us create the package for distribution by using the following command –
briefcase create
This will prompt a series of standard execution as shown below –

Finally, you need to execute the following command to build the app –
briefcase build

To find out whether your application ran successfully or not, one can use the following command –
briefcase run
This time it will run the application from this package & not from you local.
Now, the following commands help you to create & upload the package to iOS App Store.
briefcase create iOS briefcase build iOS
You can refer the following official-site fore more information on creating the iOS package using briefcase.
Also, I find this is extremely useful for troubleshooting any issues here in this link.
So, finally, we have done it.
You will get the entire codebase from the following Github link.
I’ll bring some more exciting topic in the coming days from the Python verse.
Till then, Happy Avenging! 😀
Note: All the data & scenario posted here are representational data & scenarios & available over the internet & for educational purpose only.
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