Quickstart
Welcome to the quickstart tutorial! In this tutorial, you will update a FastAPI backend for a Flashcards application to use Gel as your data layer. The application will let users build and manage their own study decks, with each flashcard featuring customizable text on both sides - making it perfect for studying, memorization practice, or creating educational games.
Don't worry if you're new to Gel - you will be up and running with a working FastAPI backend and a local Gel database in just about 5 minutes. From there, you will replace the static mock data with a Gel powered data layer in roughly 30-45 minutes.
By the end of this tutorial, you will be comfortable with:
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Creating and updating a database schema
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Running migrations to evolve your data
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Writing EdgeQL queries
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Building an app backed by Gel
Features of the flashcards app
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Create, edit, and delete decks
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Add/remove cards with front/back content
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Clean, type-safe schema with Gel
Requirements
Before you start, you need:
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Basic familiarity with Python and FastAPI
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Python 3.8+ on a Unix-like OS (Linux, macOS, or WSL)
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A code editor you love
Why Gel for FastAPI?
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Type Safety: Catch data errors before runtime
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Rich Modeling: Use object types and links to model relations
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Modern Tooling: Python-friendly schemas and migrations
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Performance: Efficient queries for complex data
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Developer Experience: An intuitive query language (EdgeQL)
Need Help?
If you run into issues while following this tutorial:
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Check the Gel documentation
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Visit our community Discord
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File an issue on GitHub