Web app for students to use

[grayat]

Hi Canvas Community,

Question. We have a teacher who has built a 100-line Python app in Streamlit and he would like to find a way to host it somewhere for his students to use, ideally via Canvas. Do you have any experience on this which you can share and advise please? Thank you.

Kind regards,

Glenn

[JeffCampbell · Accepted solution]

If Streamlit allows for sharing via an embed code, that might provide the easiest way to have it used from within Canvas. Then you could just make a page on Canvas and insert the embed code via either the Insert menu or the HTML Editor.

If Streamlit does not have an embed option, but does have an option to create a share link (meaning anyone clicking on the link is taken to an instance of Streamlit that allows them to use the app), then you just need to place that link on Canvas where desired and let students click on the link.

If Streamlit has neither, then you will want to look at some form of hosting option. Does your institution have the ability to let instructors have a page, then you need to see if it would allow hosting of the code such that you could have students visit that page and use the app. Otherwise, look at some free hosting services like Weebly/Wix/Google Sites/Etc., or acquire their own.

[JeffCampbell · Accepted solution]

If it helps: https://docs.streamlit.io/deploy/streamlit-community-cloud/share-your-app/embed-your-app

[JeffCampbell · Accepted solution]

If Streamlit allows for sharing via an embed code, that might provide the easiest way to have it used from within Canvas. Then you could just make a page on Canvas and insert the embed code via either the Insert menu or the HTML Editor.

If Streamlit does not have an embed option, but does have an option to create a share link (meaning anyone clicking on the link is taken to an instance of Streamlit that allows them to use the app), then you just need to place that link on Canvas where desired and let students click on the link.

If Streamlit has neither, then you will want to look at some form of hosting option. Does your institution have the ability to let instructors have a page, then you need to see if it would allow hosting of the code such that you could have students visit that page and use the app. Otherwise, look at some free hosting services like Weebly/Wix/Google Sites/Etc., or acquire their own.

[grayat]

Thank you for your suggestions Jeff. Will have a look at Streamlit more as I'm not very familiar with it. If it does allow, the embed code option would be preferable as it's easy. 🙂

[JeffCampbell · Accepted solution]

If it helps: https://docs.streamlit.io/deploy/streamlit-community-cloud/share-your-app/embed-your-app

[dbrace]

Hi @grayat,

I do not have a specific answer for you but I will get the ball rolling by asking a question and so I can follow along.

Is the Python app meant to be available to only specific students in a specific course or to everyone?

-Doug

[grayat]

It's meant for the students of the faculty maybe for one or couple of courses. No worries, thanks for your response as well.

[dbrace · Accepted solution]

You are welcome, @grayat, and I would start with what @JeffCampbell recommended.

The reason why I asked what I did was because to "host" something (while others words or phrases could also be used) can mean where something is "stored". Sort of like how YouTube is a video streaming platform and videos are hosted/stored there. After a video is stored on YouTube, that platform and is features determines how and where (such as the ability to embed content on another website) a video can be used.

Best of luck!

-Doug