Using Python Templates with Jinja and Google App Engine

Templating is an extremely useful technique when it comes to code reuse. Templates allow you to update only areas that change, preventing duplication of static areas. For example, navigations and footers rarely change. These two areas might be contained in a parent template while the middle of the page, where content changes often, switches out child templates.

Most Python developers like myself are familiar with Django and its ability to use templating. But when all you want is templating functionality, there’s no reason to install a full-blown framework. This is where Jinja comes in. Being very small, it’s simple to install and configure. Best of all, if you know how to use templating in Django, you’ll understand templating in Jinja.

In this screencast, I’ll demonstrate how to use Jinja templating along with the Google App Engine.

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