Create a Real Time Currency Converter app using Flask | Python

Last Updated : 15 Jan, 2021

Prerequisite: installation of Python

What is Flask in Python ?

Flask is a popular and lightweight Python web framework, meaning it is a third-party Python library used for developing web applications.

Project Setup :

create a new directory and name it ‘CURRENCY-CONVERTER‘.

mkdir CURRENCY-CONVERTER && cd CURRENCY-CONVERTER

Inside it create two file app.py and requirements.txt,

touch app.py
touch requirements.txt

Then, make a new folder name it templates and inside it create a html file name it home.html,

mkdir templates && cd templates && touch home.html
cd ..

Directory structure looks like –

Before start coding, we need a API KEY from ALPHA VANTAGE to get the real time currency exchange rate.

How to create currency Converter using Flask ?

1. Edit requirements.txt

Flask>=1.1.2
requests>=2.23.0

2. Install other dependencies/python packages. Those are Flask and requests. To do so open terminal and execute the Linux Command

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Edit app.py

Python

from flask import Flask, render_template, request 
import requests 
  
app = Flask(__name__) 
API_KEY = 'ENTER-YOUR-API-KEY'
  
  
@app.route('/', methods=['GET', 'POST']) 
def home(): 
    if request.method == 'POST': 
        try: 
            amount = request.form['amount'] 
            amount = float(amount) 
            from_c = request.form['from_c'] 
            to_c = request.form['to_c'] 
            url = 'https://www.alphavantage.co/query?function=CURRENCY_EXCHANGE_RATE&from_currency={}&to_currency={}&apikey={}'.format( 
                from_c, to_c, API_KEY) 
            response = requests.get(url=url).json() 
            rate = response['Realtime Currency Exchange Rate']['5. Exchange Rate'] 
            rate = float(rate) 
            result = rate * amount 
            from_c_code = response['Realtime Currency Exchange Rate']['1. From_Currency Code'] 
            from_c_name = response['Realtime Currency Exchange Rate']['2. From_Currency Name'] 
            to_c_code = response['Realtime Currency Exchange Rate']['3. To_Currency Code'] 
            to_c_name = response['Realtime Currency Exchange Rate']['4. To_Currency Name'] 
            time = response['Realtime Currency Exchange Rate']['6. Last Refreshed'] 
            return render_template('home.html', result=round(result, 2), amount=amount, 
                                   from_c_code=from_c_code, from_c_name=from_c_name, 
                                   to_c_code=to_c_code, to_c_name=to_c_name, time=time) 
        except Exception as e: 
            return '<h1>Bad Request : {}</h1>'.format(e) 
  
    else: 
        return render_template('home.html') 
  
  
if __name__ == "__main__": 
    app.run(debug=True) 

4. Edit templates/home.html

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html> 
<html lang="en"> 
<head> 
    <meta charset="UTF-8"> 
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> 
    <title>Real Time Currency Converter</title> 
    <style> 
        .container { 
          max-width: 500px; 
          margin: auto; 
        } 
    </style> 
</head> 
<body> 
    <div class="container"> 
        <h1 style="text-align: center;color: green;"><u>Currency Converter</u></h1> 
        <form action="/" method="POST" id="myform"> 
            <h2>From :</h2> 
            <input type="number" placeholder="Enter Amount" name="amount" min="0" value="{{amount}}" required="required"> 
            <select required name="from_c" id="from_c"> 
                <option value="">Choose Currency</option> 
                {% if from_c_name %} 
                <option value="{{from_c_code}}" selected>{{from_c_name}}</option> 
                {% endif %} 
                <option value="AED">United Arab Emirates Dirham</option> 
                <option value="AFN">Afghan Afghani</option> 
                <option value="ALL">Albanian Lek</option> 
                <option value="AMD">Armenian Dram</option> 
                <option value="ANG">Netherlands Antillean Guilder</option> 
                <option value="AOA">Angolan Kwanza</option> 
                <option value="ARS">Argentine Peso</option> 
                <option value="AUD">Australian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="AWG">Aruban Florin</option> 
                <option value="AZN">Azerbaijani Manat</option> 
                <option value="BAM">Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark</option> 
                <option value="BBD">Barbadian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="BDT">Bangladeshi Taka</option> 
                <option value="BGN">Bulgarian Lev</option> 
                <option value="BHD">Bahraini Dinar</option> 
                <option value="BIF">Burundian Franc</option> 
                <option value="BMD">Bermudan Dollar</option> 
                <option value="BND">Brunei Dollar</option> 
                <option value="BOB">Bolivian Boliviano</option> 
                <option value="BRL">Brazilian Real</option> 
                <option value="BSD">Bahamian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="BTN">Bhutanese Ngultrum</option> 
                <option value="BWP">Botswanan Pula</option> 
                <option value="BZD">Belize Dollar</option> 
                <option value="CAD">Canadian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="CDF">Congolese Franc</option> 
                <option value="CHF">Swiss Franc</option> 
                <option value="CLF">Chilean Unit of Account UF</option> 
                <option value="CLP">Chilean Peso</option> 
                <option value="CNH">Chinese Yuan Offshore</option> 
                <option value="CNY">Chinese Yuan</option> 
                <option value="COP">Colombian Peso</option> 
                <option value="CUP">Cuban Peso</option> 
                <option value="CVE">Cape Verdean Escudo</option> 
                <option value="CZK">Czech Republic Koruna</option> 
                <option value="DJF">Djiboutian Franc</option> 
                <option value="DKK">Danish Krone</option> 
                <option value="DOP">Dominican Peso</option> 
                <option value="DZD">Algerian Dinar</option> 
                <option value="EGP">Egyptian Pound</option> 
                <option value="ERN">Eritrean Nakfa</option> 
                <option value="ETB">Ethiopian Birr</option> 
                <option value="EUR">Euro</option> 
                <option value="FJD">Fijian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="FKP">Falkland Islands Pound</option> 
                <option value="GBP">British Pound Sterling</option> 
                <option value="GEL">Georgian Lari</option> 
                <option value="GHS">Ghanaian Cedi</option> 
                <option value="GIP">Gibraltar Pound</option> 
                <option value="GMD">Gambian Dalasi</option> 
                <option value="GNF">Guinean Franc</option> 
                <option value="GTQ">Guatemalan Quetzal</option> 
                <option value="GYD">Guyanaese Dollar</option> 
                <option value="HKD">Hong Kong Dollar</option> 
                <option value="HNL">Honduran Lempira</option> 
                <option value="HRK">Croatian Kuna</option> 
                <option value="HTG">Haitian Gourde</option> 
                <option value="HUF">Hungarian Forint</option> 
                <option value="IDR">Indonesian Rupiah</option> 
                <option value="ILS">Israeli New Sheqel</option> 
                <option value="INR">Indian Rupee</option> 
                <option value="IQD">Iraqi Dinar</option> 
                <option value="IRR">Iranian Rial</option> 
                <option value="ISK">Icelandic Krona</option> 
                <option value="JEP">Jersey Pound</option> 
                <option value="JMD">Jamaican Dollar</option> 
                <option value="JOD">Jordanian Dinar</option> 
                <option value="JPY">Japanese Yen</option> 
                <option value="KES">Kenyan Shilling</option> 
                <option value="KGS">Kyrgystani Som</option> 
                <option value="KHR">Cambodian Riel</option> 
                <option value="KMF">Comorian Franc</option> 
                <option value="KPW">North Korean Won</option> 
                <option value="KRW">South Korean Won</option> 
                <option value="KWD">Kuwaiti Dinar</option> 
                <option value="KYD">Cayman Islands Dollar</option> 
                <option value="KZT">Kazakhstani Tenge</option> 
                <option value="LAK">Laotian Kip</option> 
                <option value="LBP">Lebanese Pound</option> 
                <option value="LKR">Sri Lankan Rupee</option> 
                <option value="LRD">Liberian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="LSL">Lesotho Loti</option> 
                <option value="LYD">Libyan Dinar</option> 
                <option value="MAD">Moroccan Dirham</option> 
                <option value="MDL">Moldovan Leu</option> 
                <option value="MGA">Malagasy Ariary</option> 
                <option value="MKD">Macedonian Denar</option> 
                <option value="MMK">Myanma Kyat</option> 
                <option value="MNT">Mongolian Tugrik</option> 
                <option value="MOP">Macanese Pataca</option> 
                <option value="MRO">Mauritanian Ouguiya (pre-2018)</option> 
                <option value="MRU">Mauritanian Ouguiya</option> 
                <option value="MUR">Mauritian Rupee</option> 
                <option value="MVR">Maldivian Rufiyaa</option> 
                <option value="MWK">Malawian Kwacha</option> 
                <option value="MXN">Mexican Peso</option> 
                <option value="MYR">Malaysian Ringgit</option> 
                <option value="MZN">Mozambican Metical</option> 
                <option value="NAD">Namibian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="NGN">Nigerian Naira</option> 
                <option value="NOK">Norwegian Krone</option> 
                <option value="NPR">Nepalese Rupee</option> 
                <option value="NZD">New Zealand Dollar</option> 
                <option value="OMR">Omani Rial</option> 
                <option value="PAB">Panamanian Balboa</option> 
                <option value="PEN">Peruvian Nuevo Sol</option> 
                <option value="PGK">Papua New Guinean Kina</option> 
                <option value="PHP">Philippine Peso</option> 
                <option value="PKR">Pakistani Rupee</option> 
                <option value="PLN">Polish Zloty</option> 
                <option value="PYG">Paraguayan Guarani</option> 
                <option value="QAR">Qatari Rial</option> 
                <option value="RON">Romanian Leu</option> 
                <option value="RSD">Serbian Dinar</option> 
                <option value="RUB">Russian Ruble</option> 
                <option value="RUR">Old Russian Ruble</option> 
                <option value="RWF">Rwandan Franc</option> 
                <option value="SAR">Saudi Riyal</option> 
                <option value="SBDf">Solomon Islands Dollar</option> 
                <option value="SCR">Seychellois Rupee</option> 
                <option value="SDG">Sudanese Pound</option> 
                <option value="SDR">Special Drawing Rights</option> 
                <option value="SEK">Swedish Krona</option> 
                <option value="SGD">Singapore Dollar</option> 
                <option value="SHP">Saint Helena Pound</option> 
                <option value="SLL">Sierra Leonean Leone</option> 
                <option value="SOS">Somali Shilling</option> 
                <option value="SRD">Surinamese Dollar</option> 
                <option value="SYP">Syrian Pound</option> 
                <option value="SZL">Swazi Lilangeni</option> 
                <option value="THB">Thai Baht</option> 
                <option value="TJS">Tajikistani Somoni</option> 
                <option value="TMT">Turkmenistani Manat</option> 
                <option value="TND">Tunisian Dinar</option> 
                <option value="TOP">Tongan Pa'anga</option> 
                <option value="TRY">Turkish Lira</option> 
                <option value="TTD">Trinidad and Tobago Dollar</option> 
                <option value="TWD">New Taiwan Dollar</option> 
                <option value="TZS">Tanzanian Shilling</option> 
                <option value="UAH">Ukrainian Hryvnia</option> 
                <option value="UGX">Ugandan Shilling</option> 
                <option value="USD">United States Dollar</option> 
                <option value="UYU">Uruguayan Peso</option> 
                <option value="UZS">Uzbekistan Som</option> 
                <option value="VND">Vietnamese Dong</option> 
                <option value="VUV">Vanuatu Vatu</option> 
                <option value="WST">Samoan Tala</option> 
                <option value="XAF">CFA Franc BEAC</option> 
                <option value="XCD">East Caribbean Dollar</option> 
                <option value="XDR">Special Drawing Rights</option> 
                <option value="XOF">CFA Franc BCEAO</option> 
                <option value="XPF">CFP Franc</option> 
                <option value="YER">Yemeni Rial</option> 
                <option value="ZAR">South African Rand</option> 
                <option value="ZMW">Zambian Kwacha</option> 
                <option value="ZWL">Zimbabwean Dollar</option> 
            </select> 
            <h2>To :</h2> 
            <input type="number" placeholder="Result" style="background-color:cornsilk;color:mediumblue;font-weight:bold" value="{{result}}" readonly> 
            <select required name="to_c" id="to_c"> 
                <option value="">Choose Currency</option> 
                {% if to_c_name %} 
                <option value="{{to_c_code}}" selected>{{to_c_name}}</option> 
                {% endif %} 
                <option value="AED">United Arab Emirates Dirham</option> 
                <option value="AFN">Afghan Afghani</option> 
                <option value="ALL">Albanian Lek</option> 
                <option value="AMD">Armenian Dram</option> 
                <option value="ANG">Netherlands Antillean Guilder</option> 
                <option value="AOA">Angolan Kwanza</option> 
                <option value="ARS">Argentine Peso</option> 
                <option value="AUD">Australian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="AWG">Aruban Florin</option> 
                <option value="AZN">Azerbaijani Manat</option> 
                <option value="BAM">Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark</option> 
                <option value="BBD">Barbadian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="BDT">Bangladeshi Taka</option> 
                <option value="BGN">Bulgarian Lev</option> 
                <option value="BHD">Bahraini Dinar</option> 
                <option value="BIF">Burundian Franc</option> 
                <option value="BMD">Bermudan Dollar</option> 
                <option value="BND">Brunei Dollar</option> 
                <option value="BOB">Bolivian Boliviano</option> 
                <option value="BRL">Brazilian Real</option> 
                <option value="BSD">Bahamian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="BTN">Bhutanese Ngultrum</option> 
                <option value="BWP">Botswanan Pula</option> 
                <option value="BZD">Belize Dollar</option> 
                <option value="CAD">Canadian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="CDF">Congolese Franc</option> 
                <option value="CHF">Swiss Franc</option> 
                <option value="CLF">Chilean Unit of Account UF</option> 
                <option value="CLP">Chilean Peso</option> 
                <option value="CNH">Chinese Yuan Offshore</option> 
                <option value="CNY">Chinese Yuan</option> 
                <option value="COP">Colombian Peso</option> 
                <option value="CUP">Cuban Peso</option> 
                <option value="CVE">Cape Verdean Escudo</option> 
                <option value="CZK">Czech Republic Koruna</option> 
                <option value="DJF">Djiboutian Franc</option> 
                <option value="DKK">Danish Krone</option> 
                <option value="DOP">Dominican Peso</option> 
                <option value="DZD">Algerian Dinar</option> 
                <option value="EGP">Egyptian Pound</option> 
                <option value="ERN">Eritrean Nakfa</option> 
                <option value="ETB">Ethiopian Birr</option> 
                <option value="EUR">Euro</option> 
                <option value="FJD">Fijian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="FKP">Falkland Islands Pound</option> 
                <option value="GBP">British Pound Sterling</option> 
                <option value="GEL">Georgian Lari</option> 
                <option value="GHS">Ghanaian Cedi</option> 
                <option value="GIP">Gibraltar Pound</option> 
                <option value="GMD">Gambian Dalasi</option> 
                <option value="GNF">Guinean Franc</option> 
                <option value="GTQ">Guatemalan Quetzal</option> 
                <option value="GYD">Guyanaese Dollar</option> 
                <option value="HKD">Hong Kong Dollar</option> 
                <option value="HNL">Honduran Lempira</option> 
                <option value="HRK">Croatian Kuna</option> 
                <option value="HTG">Haitian Gourde</option> 
                <option value="HUF">Hungarian Forint</option> 
                <option value="IDR">Indonesian Rupiah</option> 
                <option value="ILS">Israeli New Sheqel</option> 
                <option value="INR">Indian Rupee</option> 
                <option value="IQD">Iraqi Dinar</option> 
                <option value="IRR">Iranian Rial</option> 
                <option value="ISK">Icelandic Krona</option> 
                <option value="JEP">Jersey Pound</option> 
                <option value="JMD">Jamaican Dollar</option> 
                <option value="JOD">Jordanian Dinar</option> 
                <option value="JPY">Japanese Yen</option> 
                <option value="KES">Kenyan Shilling</option> 
                <option value="KGS">Kyrgystani Som</option> 
                <option value="KHR">Cambodian Riel</option> 
                <option value="KMF">Comorian Franc</option> 
                <option value="KPW">North Korean Won</option> 
                <option value="KRW">South Korean Won</option> 
                <option value="KWD">Kuwaiti Dinar</option> 
                <option value="KYD">Cayman Islands Dollar</option> 
                <option value="KZT">Kazakhstani Tenge</option> 
                <option value="LAK">Laotian Kip</option> 
                <option value="LBP">Lebanese Pound</option> 
                <option value="LKR">Sri Lankan Rupee</option> 
                <option value="LRD">Liberian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="LSL">Lesotho Loti</option> 
                <option value="LYD">Libyan Dinar</option> 
                <option value="MAD">Moroccan Dirham</option> 
                <option value="MDL">Moldovan Leu</option> 
                <option value="MGA">Malagasy Ariary</option> 
                <option value="MKD">Macedonian Denar</option> 
                <option value="MMK">Myanma Kyat</option> 
                <option value="MNT">Mongolian Tugrik</option> 
                <option value="MOP">Macanese Pataca</option> 
                <option value="MRO">Mauritanian Ouguiya (pre-2018)</option> 
                <option value="MRU">Mauritanian Ouguiya</option> 
                <option value="MUR">Mauritian Rupee</option> 
                <option value="MVR">Maldivian Rufiyaa</option> 
                <option value="MWK">Malawian Kwacha</option> 
                <option value="MXN">Mexican Peso</option> 
                <option value="MYR">Malaysian Ringgit</option> 
                <option value="MZN">Mozambican Metical</option> 
                <option value="NAD">Namibian Dollar</option> 
                <option value="NGN">Nigerian Naira</option> 
                <option value="NOK">Norwegian Krone</option> 
                <option value="NPR">Nepalese Rupee</option> 
                <option value="NZD">New Zealand Dollar</option> 
                <option value="OMR">Omani Rial</option> 
                <option value="PAB">Panamanian Balboa</option> 
                <option value="PEN">Peruvian Nuevo Sol</option> 
                <option value="PGK">Papua New Guinean Kina</option> 
                <option value="PHP">Philippine Peso</option> 
                <option value="PKR">Pakistani Rupee</option> 
                <option value="PLN">Polish Zloty</option> 
                <option value="PYG">Paraguayan Guarani</option> 
                <option value="QAR">Qatari Rial</option> 
                <option value="RON">Romanian Leu</option> 
                <option value="RSD">Serbian Dinar</option> 
                <option value="RUB">Russian Ruble</option> 
                <option value="RUR">Old Russian Ruble</option> 
                <option value="RWF">Rwandan Franc</option> 
                <option value="SAR">Saudi Riyal</option> 
                <option value="SBDf">Solomon Islands Dollar</option> 
                <option value="SCR">Seychellois Rupee</option> 
                <option value="SDG">Sudanese Pound</option> 
                <option value="SDR">Special Drawing Rights</option> 
                <option value="SEK">Swedish Krona</option> 
                <option value="SGD">Singapore Dollar</option> 
                <option value="SHP">Saint Helena Pound</option> 
                <option value="SLL">Sierra Leonean Leone</option> 
                <option value="SOS">Somali Shilling</option> 
                <option value="SRD">Surinamese Dollar</option> 
                <option value="SYP">Syrian Pound</option> 
                <option value="SZL">Swazi Lilangeni</option> 
                <option value="THB">Thai Baht</option> 
                <option value="TJS">Tajikistani Somoni</option> 
                <option value="TMT">Turkmenistani Manat</option> 
                <option value="TND">Tunisian Dinar</option> 
                <option value="TOP">Tongan Pa'anga</option> 
                <option value="TRY">Turkish Lira</option> 
                <option value="TTD">Trinidad and Tobago Dollar</option> 
                <option value="TWD">New Taiwan Dollar</option> 
                <option value="TZS">Tanzanian Shilling</option> 
                <option value="UAH">Ukrainian Hryvnia</option> 
                <option value="UGX">Ugandan Shilling</option> 
                <option value="USD">United States Dollar</option> 
                <option value="UYU">Uruguayan Peso</option> 
                <option value="UZS">Uzbekistan Som</option> 
                <option value="VND">Vietnamese Dong</option> 
                <option value="VUV">Vanuatu Vatu</option> 
                <option value="WST">Samoan Tala</option> 
                <option value="XAF">CFA Franc BEAC</option> 
                <option value="XCD">East Caribbean Dollar</option> 
                <option value="XDR">Special Drawing Rights</option> 
                <option value="XOF">CFA Franc BCEAO</option> 
                <option value="XPF">CFP Franc</option> 
                <option value="YER">Yemeni Rial</option> 
                <option value="ZAR">South African Rand</option> 
                <option value="ZMW">Zambian Kwacha</option> 
                <option value="ZWL">Zimbabwean Dollar</option> 
            </select> 
            <h2 style="text-align: center;"><input type="submit" style="width: 60px;height: 30px;" value="Convert"></h2> 
        </form> 
        {% if time %} 
        <h4 style="color: red; text-align: center;">** Last Update on {{time}}</h4> 
        {% endif %} 
    </div> 
</body> 
</html>

5. After that you can run the web server to see the weather app. To do so run app.py file. For that write the following Linux Command in Terminal.