Anvil Blog

A Guide to Styling Apps with CSS

Thu, 12 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Want more control over the look of your Anvil apps? This guide teaches you the basics of using CSS in Anvil to style your web apps.

A more Pythonic way to build interactive apps

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Setting event handlers in Anvil is now more explicit and Pythonic

Showcasing three recent improvements to Anvil

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Some powerful new features have recently been brought into the fold.

Debug Your Python Web Apps in Anvil

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Curious about how Anvil’s Interactive Debugger works? Or want to see it in action on a real app? This video is for you.

Case Study: How AnkiBuddy Saves Med Students Hours of Study Time

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Created by Dr. David Topf, AnkiBuddy went from idea to prototype in just 2 months and uses AI to turn documents into Anki flashcards in minutes - transforming how med students study.

Case Study: How Chris Built a BI Tool with Anvil

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how Chris built Query Streams — a tool that transforms your databases into secure, shareable queries that anyone can run, without complex setup.

What makes Anvil so easy to learn?

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

How long does it take to “learn” Anvil? Let’s take a look.

Introducing: The Anvil Dependency Library

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

With the new Anvil Dependency Library, finding and adding community-made dependencies has never been easier.

Secure Team Collaboration in Anvil

Thu, 29 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to create secure development workflows with GitHub that separate your production and development environments.

How We Brought the GOV.UK Design System into Anvil

Mon, 12 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

See how I recreated the UK government’s design system in Anvil by turning GOV.UK components into Anvil components.

Using JavaScript Libraries

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to integrate Javascript libraries into your Anvil app.

Building a Game App with Just Python

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

How I built a multiplayer Sketch and Guess game with Anvil.

Making a Clicker Game with a Leaderboard

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Find out who among your friends is the Ultimate Clicker with this fun little app!

Learn how to use the Canvas component

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to use the Canvas component to draw and animate shapes and images.

Build a SaaS Product Using Just Python

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Do you want to build a SaaS product but you only know Python? We have the perfect solution!

Introducing the Interactive Debugger in Anvil

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Gain insights into your code with Anvil’s Interactive Debugger.

Build an AI-powered Web App

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Build an AI-powered app that extracts flight details from emails using OpenAI’s Chat API.

Introducing the new Material 3 Theme

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

We’ve built a brand new Material Design 3 theme for your Anvil apps.

Getting Started With Layouts

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we’ll build a homepage Layout with a navigation sidebar, and we’ll use it as the Layout for the other Forms in our app.

Using Data Grids for Tabular Data

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to use Data Grids to display your data in a table.

Blast off into py.space!

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

We’re announcing Anvil’s latest project! py.space is a new social site for writing, running and deploying Python code quickly and easily

Introduction to Data Bindings

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we will show you how to use data bindings to sync data to components.

Introducing Layouts

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Build reusable Layout Forms for more consistent design and better page navigation.

Create A Custom Component From Scratch

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we will create an interactive custom component with HTML and CSS.

Introducing Four Improvements To Custom Components

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We’ve made it easier than ever to build and use custom components. Let me show you what’s new.

Announcing the New Drag-and-Drop Designer

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We’re releasing a new Drag-and-Drop Designer! We’ve improved the drag and drop experience, implemented in-line editing, revamped the look of the designer, and more.

Try it today!

Introducing the New Drag-and-Drop Designer

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We’re updating Anvil’s Drag-and-Drop Designer! We’ve improved the drag and drop experience, implemented in-line editing, revamped the look of the designer, and more.

Try the beta today!

Connect your Anvil apps to GitHub

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Connect your Anvil apps to GitHub repositories for better code management and version controlling.

How to Build a Dynamic Linear Regression Model with Anvil X

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Hey there, data enthusiasts! Get ready to up your data analysis game with Baker Tilly’s new video.

The PiCast: Connect a Raspberry Pi Pico W to an Anvil app

Fri, 05 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Watch Meredydd’s episode of The PiCast as he demonstrates how to connect a Raspberry Pi Pico W to an Anvil app.

We're going to PyCon US 2023!

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We’re sponsoring PyCon US 2023. Come find our booth in the Expo Hall or join one of our meet-ups!

Upload files directly to S3 from a web app

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to upload large files to an Amazon S3 bucket from an Anvil app using uppy.io and the boto3 library

Turn Your Pandas Code into a Web App

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we will build a dashboard using a local Pandas script or Jupyter notebook.

New: Build Tableau Extensions With Anvil X

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Dashboards are all about communicating information through data, but users need to leave the dashboard to act. Anvil X enables dashboard developers to extend their Tableau dashboards with Python, so users can act right in the dashboard.

An Expense Approval System Built with Python

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Create powerful and custom-made internal tools with Anvil. In this example, we’ve built an expense approval app with Anvil and Python.

Deploy and Manage Distributed Computation with Coiled and Anvil

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

If you’ve got some big datasets that you want to wrangle insights from, you might want to distribute all that heavy-duty computation. Coiled lets you do just that, and takes the hosting off your plate too.

Introducing New Community Spaces

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We want to help Anvil developers share what they’re working on and help each other, so we’re happy to introduce Anvil’s new community spaces.

Announcing the New Anvil Editor

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Anvil Editor has had a complete makeover. Anvil now has a fresh new look and a host of new features such as built-in version control, tabbed editing, multiple deployment environments, and much more. Building web apps with Python just got easier and more powerful!

Deploying a machine learning model with Anvil

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to quickly deploy a machine learning model with Anvil’s built-in Data Files service.

New: Add Static Data to Your App

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

We’ve made it easier than ever to attach large files to your app and use them on the server side. It’s especially useful for machine learning models, large datasets and data that stays constant.

Try a tutorial, and deploy a machine learning model in minutes!

Using Custom Python Packages with Anvil

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to build an app that uses wikipedia, wordcloud and plotly-express as custom packages.

A Task Manager App Built with Python

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Create powerful and custom-made internal tools with Anvil. In this example, we’ve built a simple task management app with Anvil and Python.

Exploring the New Material Design 3 Theme

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to build more modern looking web apps with the new Material Design 3 theme.

Build a Morse Code Generator with the Raspberry Pi Pico W

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to build a Morse code generator with a secure web UI, user authentication and flashing lights.

Announcing New Themes and Colour Schemes

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

We’re introducing brand new features to help make you Anvil apps look better than ever. Build modern looking web apps by default with new themes and style your Plotly plots to match!

Memory Management in Python - Part 3: Object Lifetimes and Garbage Collection

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Join me for a tour of some of CPython’s dark memory magic and unintuitive behaviours! This blog post is the last in a three-part write-up of a conference talk I gave in 2021.

Build an App Driven By Google Sheets

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to build an app using Anvil’s built-in Google Sheets integration.

An Easy IoT Toolkit for the New Pico W

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

We’ve released a new toolkit for building internet-connected gadgets with the Raspberry Pi Pico W, easily and securely.

Try a tutorial, and build your first IoT app in minutes!

Get Started with the Raspberry Pi Pico W

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Connect your Pico W securely to the internet, and control it from a web interface.

Memory Management in Python - Part 2: Equality

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

When are two Python objects the same? What does that even mean? Join me for a tour of some of CPython’s dark memory magic and unintuitive behaviours.

(Part 2 of the “Pointers? In My Python?” series.)

Building A Python Code Completer at PyCon US 2022

Thu, 26 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Code completion is almost magic, and it makes writing code feel so good. But how does it actually work? Meredydd built a code completion engine from scratch - and in this talk, recorded at PyCon US 2022, he’ll tell you its secrets.

Memory Management in Python - Part 1: What Are Pointers?

Fri, 20 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Join me for a tour of some of CPython’s dark memory magic and unintuitive behaviours! This blog post is the first in a three-part write-up of a conference talk I gave in 2021.

Build a Web App with Pandas

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of building a dashboard using Pandas.

OAuth and OIDC: What You Need To Know

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s blog post, learn everything you never knew you needed to know about OpenID Connect - the SSO technology behind ‘Sign in with Google or Facebook’ - and about OAuth, the standard that drives it.

Client vs Server Code in Anvil

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

When you write code in an Anvil app, it runs on either the client-side or the server-side. But what is the client and the server, and why do we run code in two different places? This article is a introduction to the difference between client-side and server-side code in Anvil.

Integrate your QuickBooks data into your own Anvil app

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Want to view your accounting data at a glance, or show it to others without giving them access to your QuickBooks? Read on to see how to do just that in Anvil.

Draw FusionCharts with Python

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Use the awesome FusionCharts library directly from Python in the browser!

Craft A Conference Talk Proposal That Sparks Joy

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

So you’re interested to talk at a software conference - that’s great!

But how do you propose a talk, and what sorts of proposals are attractive to conference organisers?

A Gentle Introduction to SAML Authentication

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s blog post, we take a demystifying dive into the deep dark world of SAML authentication.

An SSO primer: what is it, and how does it work?

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Are you getting tired of having too many online identities? Keep forgetting passwords, and having to log in to a bunch of different services every time you surf the web? It’s time to learn about SSO.

CS In Schools

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Australia is missing thousands of programmers. There will be over 100,000 new IT jobs created in Australia by 2024, but overwhelmingly Australians aren’t choosing to study Computer Science related subjects. CS In Schools is a charity aiming to tackle this problem at its source, partnering with schools to give young students positive formative experiences with coding.

Calling from your Browser using Twilio and Python

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Easily make calls from you Browser using the Twilio API and nothing but Python

Advent Calendar Roundup 3

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

It’s Christmas Eve and the last day of this year’s Anvil Advent Calendar!

This week, we created an app to virtually decorate your cookies, a game demonstrating the classic Monty Hall Problem, an AI powered chatbot, and a whole heap of other apps.

Take a look at all the apps that we made this week.

Advent Calendar Roundup 2

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

We’re now over halfway to Christmas, and this year’s Anvil Advent Calendar is in full swing. This week, we extended the Random Carol app with a Skip button, upgraded the Wishlist app (again!), generated some AI Christmas greetings, and much more.

Advent Calendar Roundup 1

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

We’re 10 days into the Advent Calendar. We made a Pachinko Christmas tree, a North Pole weather dashboard, and even got robots to write cards for us!

Take a look at all the apps that we made so far.

First day of the Anvil Advent Calendar

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

We’re building a Python web app each day until Christmas. Join us on a festive Python adventure!

Announcing the 2021 Anvil Advent Calendar

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Hear ye, hear ye, the Anvil Advent Calendar is here again!

Using hardware tokens for two-factor authentication: how does it work?

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Everyone has been extolling the virtue of two-factor authentication for years. But what is it, and how does it work? And what exactly does a hardware authentication token do?

7Q1: Simplifying Supply Chains with AI

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Supply chains can be incredibly complex and fragile. Events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Suez Canal blockage have a domino effect on supply chains and manufacturing. 7Q1 has built a tool for companies to quickly find the best fitting suppliers, so that they can easily adapt to changes in their supply chain.

Magic Link Login: Simple, Easy and Secure

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Passwords are so 2020 - let your users log in without them by using Magic Links!

Mark.One: An AI for Smarter Baking

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Bakeries waste tons of food every day because demand is extremely hard to predict. In this episode of Stories from the Workshop, Meredydd speaks to Mark Breuß who grew up in the bakery business and saw a need for software that uses data to help bakers make better decisions.

Building a Financial Calculator with QuantLib

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The team at BasisPoint show us how to build interactive and customisable financial tools with the power of Python and Anvil.

Python for Client-side Web Development

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A bite-sized introduction to writing client-side Python in Anvil.

This 2-minute blog post will show you how to write client-side Python to make a button interactive.

An applicant tracking system with Trello's API

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to build an applicant tracking system (ATS) using Anvil and Trello.

We’ll show you how to integrate Anvil with other apps using APIs and webhooks, send emails from an app and store sensitive data.

Announcing the New Beta Editor

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

We’ve rebuilt the Anvil Editor with new version control and dev / staging / prod deployments, as well as a clean new look, tabbed editing and Dark Mode.

Anvil’s web app builder is now easier and more powerful than ever. Try it out today!

Building a Web App User Interface with Python

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A bite-sized introduction to building web app user interfaces with nothing but Python.

Automate Asana with a Python web UI

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to use Asana’s API to automate task management.

Custom-Made Financial Tools for the Modern World

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

When you’re dealing with billions of dollars, small mistakes can have big consequences. Traditional tools for tracking, valuing and analyzing financial data rely heavily on Excel and manual operations. BasisPoint realised it was time for investment to enter the modern world.

Deploy a Google Colab Notebook with Docker

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Once you’ve put a web front-end on your Google Colab notebook, you need to keep it running! In this tutorial, we’ll learn how to deploy our notebook on a private server.

Why Python in the Browser Isn't Enough

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

“Finally,” we think, “we can cast off the dead weight of Javascript!” But that’s not how it turns out. In this post, I’ll talk about why it’s tempting, why it doesn’t work, and what to do instead.

Integrate Mapbox into your Web App using only Python

Thu, 06 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Integrate beautiful and powerful maps into your Anvil app using Mapbox (and nothing but Python)!

Learning to use Pillow through my love of crafting

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s blog post I combine two of my great loves: Python and cross-stitch. Now, nobody can stop me from making a gigantic cross stitch rendition of… well, whatever I want!

Introducing the RichText component

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

This component allows you to flexibly format text, embed other components into it, or safely display dynamic HTML - all at once.

Surviving Quarantine with a Slack Bot and Board Games

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

We built a Slack bot to beat the pandemic boredom by scheduling virtual board games with our co-workers! Learn how to use Anvil and Slack’s API to build an interactive app that collects interest, schedules games with your team, and announces victories.

Using Daily's video chat API with Anvil

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to use Daily’s API to add video calls to your app with just a few lines of code.

Collect Segment Data from Anvil Pure-Python Web Apps

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Want to collect customer interaction data from your web apps? You don’t need to be a multi-framework JS guru!

See how to use Segment’s customer data platform to collect customer interaction data from your web apps, and send it anywhere - all using nothing but Python.

Control the Rainbow HAT from the web

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Make a web app that controls your Raspberry Pi! All you’ll need is Python.

Pimoroni’s Rainbow HAT lets you display text, lights and sound on your Raspberry Pi. I’ll show you how to write a Python program to control it from a web page, using Anvil.

Getting Photos from Mars with Python

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Get images from space, with NASA’s API!

Everyone’s waiting on the next photos from Perseverance, NASA’s latest Mars rover. I’ll show you how to use NASA’s API to get the latest images, as soon as they arrive - and send them straight to your inbox!

A Lazy Loading Module

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Here’s a Python challenge: I’ve got data. I use in many places. I only want to load it once. And I don’t want to load it until I need it. How can I make that slick?

Well, since Python 3.7, modules can have a __getattr__ function! Let’s create a module with attributes that only load when we access them.

12 Reasons to Use Python for Front-End Web Development

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

What would web development look like if it were 100% Python - even the front end?

A lot better, that’s what! Here are 12 reasons why pure-Python web development is better than wrestling with JS, HTML, CSS and dozens of frameworks.

When's My Baby Due? Ask the Data!

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

While I’m waiting somewhat impatiently for my baby to put in an appearance, I’ve been delving into the statistics of due dates.

Let’s explore the science of pregnancy and plot some probability distributions with Python!

New: SAML Authentication

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Anvil now supports logging into your apps with a SAML identity!

SAML is a Single Sign-On protocol commonly used in corporate environments. If you use Active Directory, Okta, OneLogin, Auth0, or basically any other SSO system, you’ll be able to log into your apps with this service.

The Best of Anvil: 2020

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

It’s been a busy year at Anvil. We’ve released more product improvements, features, tutorials, documentation and example apps than ever before!

We know it’s hard to keep up, so here are all the best bits from Anvil in 2020.

Anvil Advent Calendar Bonus App!

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

We might have gotten a little carried away - here’s one more festive web app for you to enjoy!

Have one final app to play with as you contemplate what to do with all that leftover turkey…

Anvil Advent Calendar Roundup

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The last door of the Anvil Advent Calendar has opened! We built 24 web apps – one each day until Christmas – with nothing but Python.

Grab a mince pie, get cosy, and look through our final batch of festive web apps.

Only 7 More Apps Until Christmas

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Seven sleeps to Christmas means seven more Python web apps! Take a look at some of the best of our Advent Calendar so far.

Hanukkah at Anvil - All Eight Apps, Assemble!

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A look back at the apps we created for our celebration of Hanukkah at Anvil - including the electric menorah of our dreams, a decisive answer to what the best latke topping is, and custom ugly jumpers for the holiday season.

Celebrating Hanukkah at Anvil

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Not only that, we’re building a Python web app for each night of Hanukkah. Appy Holidays!

Announcing the Anvil Advent Calendar 2020

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

We’re building a Python web app each day until Christmas. Join us on a festive Python adventure!

Generating PDFs with Python and Anvil

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Generating PDF documents is simple in Anvil. In this new tutorial, we’ll build a simple app which generates a PDF document that can be downloaded and sent as an email attachment.

Python objects speak for themselves

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

One reason Python is so usable is that you can find out precisely how anything works.

We’ll see how to find out how to use any module, even if it’s not documented.

Then we’ll use ast and dis to minutely examine exactly how Python executes a very small program.

🤰 Pregnancy tracking with the power of Emoji

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Guess what? Anvil is 25% pregnant! So I made us a pregnancy tracker app that uses weekly emoji to tell you how big bb is.

Also included: weekly email updates, the fastest unsubscribe in the west, and more nerding out about due dates than would fit in one post…

Deploying Machine Learning with Deepnote and Anvil

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Deepnote is a new, slick data science notebook. But even a slick notebook isn’t enough for non-programmers.

We’ll show you how to deploy a machine learning model with a web UI, using Anvil and Deepnote’s Jupyter-compatible, collaboration-friendly notebook.

Generating Edgar Allan Poe with GPT-2

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

To celebrate Halloween, read a mostly coherent and entirely machine-generated scary story in the style of Edgar Allan Poe.

And generate your own grim and haunting tale using the Anvil app!

New: Build Your Own Portable Objects

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

You can now define Python classes that can be passed from server code to the web browser – and back!

Plotting in Pygal

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Pygal is an interesting Python plotting library because it produces pretty SVG plots with little effort.

Style comes to the forefront, and the SVG plots are convenient for embedding in a web app.

The Source Awakens: Classifying Star Wars ships with Deep Learning

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s build a deep learning framework in a Jupyter notebook to classify different kinds of ships from the Star Wars universe!

Then we can hook our notebook up to Anvil to share it with the world.

Python vs the Pandemic

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

2020 has been a difficult year for people all around the world.

We’ve seen an incredible response from the Anvil community, with a number of our users building tools and applications to help deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll take a look at some of the tools being built with Anvil to help people impacted by the virus.

Example Dashboards Built with Python

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Looking for inspiration on how to present your data?

Take a look at our dashboard showcase to see some of the beautiful dashboards people have built with Anvil.

How I Built Clockify in 1 day

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Stuart asked, what can be done in one working day with Anvil?

His answer, Clockify, a time tracking app. This walk-through documents his process from inception to time tracking application, all in 24 hours.

The Internet of Fish: How I Automated My Fish Tank

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

How do my fish know when to sleep? You might have been tempted to connect the aquarium lights to a timer, but my solution involves a microcontroller, SPI-controlled LEDs…and, of course, Python in the cloud.

A Loan Like No Other - in Just 4 Days

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Can you really build an application processing system, from a blank sheet of paper, in less than a week? That’s the amazing feat Baker Tilly managed earlier this year.

Imagine you’re a major accounting and consultancy firm. Your clients are hurting, and the US government just invented a new type of loan to provide relief. But nobody knows how to apply for – or issue – these loans, so you need to build a process from scratch.

Fighting for Consumer Rights with FairShake

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Since 2011, it’s been harder for consumers in the US to pursue big companies for compensation when things go wrong.

Meredydd spoke to Teel and Brian from FairShake about how their consumer rights service is levelling the playing field between everyday people and big companies. And how Anvil helps them to move faster!

Turning Photos into Paintings

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Painting a portrait like Picasso or water lilies like Monet is beyond the reach of many of us. Luckily, with Deep Learning, we can at least imitate their style with our own photos.

Anvil Community Showcase

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

We keep seeing people use Anvil for amazing things! In this post, we take a look at some of these things – from internal applications to whole businesses – being built on Anvil.

Plotting in Seaborn

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Seaborn is a Python plotting library based on Matplotlib. It gives you a set of simple plotting functions, and lets you access Matplotlib when you want to tweak things.

Its use of ’tidy data’ makes its interface especially neat, and you can even ask it for colours such as ’light eggplant' and ‘cloudy blue’! Here’s a guide to using it.

Two-Factor Authentication with Anvil

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Protect your users, even if their passwords are compromised.

You can now add two-factor authentication to any Anvil app - all it takes is the tick of a box!

Hunting the Coronavirus with Anvil

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The Australian public health system is on red alert. Meredydd spoke to Anders, from Melbourne’s MDU Public Health Lab, about how they detect, track and share information about outbreaks: They’re smashing up DNA, doing ancestry tests on viruses, and – of course – writing plenty of Python.

How I Built Calendly in 3 Hours

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

How long does it take to prototype a startup?

Stuart found out by rebuilding a working version of Calendly, the invaluable meeting scheduling app. And the answer is that you can be really fast, if you use the right tools.

Tracking the Iron Dog Race with Python

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

It’s a two-thousand-mile race, across some of the most remote terrain in America. So how do you bring the action to the spectators?

We learned how this massive enterprise is coordinated – and how they use web apps to bring the audience along for the ride.

Plotting in Plotly

Thu, 28 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Plotly is a plotting ecosystem with powerful Python APIs that also includes client-side interactivity. Of course, this makes it a great fit for Anvil!

As part of our tour of Python plotting libraries, Shaun walks us through how to use Plotly from Python.

Why We Open Sourced the Anvil App Server

Wed, 20 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

We keep getting asked, “Why did you open-source such a core part of your product?”

Meredydd explains why our open-source App Server was the best way to fix web development for more people – and doesn’t change Anvil’s business model as much as you might think.

The Anvil Runtime Engine is Now Open Source

Wed, 06 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

We are excited to announce that the Anvil Runtime and App Server are now open source!

Export your app from the Anvil Editor and host it anywhere – the power is all yours.

Mongolian Data Science Adventures

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What can data science do for Mongolia? Robert Ritz moved from Texas to Mongolia and started the LETU Mongolia business school. In this special double-length episode, he talks to Meredydd about speech recognition, pollution measurements, and what makes Mongolia different.

Plotting in Matplotlib

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Matplotlib is the wise old sage in the plotting village. While some other plotting libraries have simpler interfaces, Matplotlib’s strength is the precise control you have over your plots.

It is still the most popular Python plotting library, based on PyPi downloads per month.

Data Science Goes to School

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why does a school board need a data scientist? In this episode of the Anvil podcast, Allan Campopiano talks to Meredydd about how his school board uses data – and how that has changed as the senior leadership saw what was possible.

Trolling your colleagues with nothing but Python

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A haunted keyboard, a branded tea tray, and some Root Cause Analysis.

Is it April Fools Day yet?

A Full-Featured Ticketing System, Built with Anvil

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

By popular request, we’ve built a full-scale, shippable example application entirely in Anvil.

Dig your teeth into an example of what Anvil can do!

Python Powered Excel Functions in the Cloud

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What if you could have all the usability of Excel, all the power of Python, and all the manageability of a cloud application? Tony Roberts shows us how, by combining Pyxll (Python for Excel) and Anvil’s Uplink.

Plotting in Altair