suggest me backend service's folder structure(in a good design pattern). It is suppose to be written in python. Its the backend for the frontend react screens and would be for mobile app as well
The best-practice folder structure for a Python backend service—especially when serving as a backend for both React frontend screens and a mobile app—is to use a modular, clean, and scalable architecture that promotes maintainability and clear separation of concerns. This template is suitable for APIs built with frameworks like Flask or FastAPI and aligns with modern REST API conventions.[^1][^2][^3]
Recommended Folder Structure
backend/
│
├── app/
│ ├── api/ # API route definitions (endpoints)
│ ├── models/ # DB models and schemas
│ ├── services/ # Business logic
│ ├── controllers/ # HTTP request handlers
│ ├── schemas/ # Pydantic/Marshmallow schemas or serializers
│ ├── middlewares/ # Middleware functions
│ ├── utils/ # Utility/helper functions
│ ├── config/ # Configuration & environment settings
│ └── __init__.py
│
├── tests/ # Unit and integration tests
├── migrations/ # Database migrations (if using a tool like Alembic)
├── requirements.txt # Python dependencies
├── Dockerfile # Containerization setup
├── .env # Environment variables
├── README.md
└── main.py # Entrypoint (e.g., creates and runs app)
Key Design Principles
- Separation of Concerns: Organize your codebase so that models, services, controllers, and routes are clearly separated.[^2]
- Testability: Place tests in their own directory and mirror structure of the main app.[^1]
- Configuration: Properties and secrets should be managed via a dedicated config folder and
.envfiles.[^12][^7] - Scalability: Each module or resource (user, product, order, etc.) can be further divided into its own sub-folders for controllers, services, and schemas, if the project gets larger.[^3][^1]
Example File Roles
- main.py: Entrypoint that creates the app, adds routes, runs the server.
- controllers/: Request handling, input/output shaping, calls services.
- services/: Business logic, pure functions, interacts with models.
- models/: ORM models (SQLAlchemy, etc.), DB schema.
- schemas/: Validation and serialization (Pydantic, Marshmallow).
- routes/: Explicit endpoint definitions (optional, sometimes combined with controllers).
- middlewares/: Cross-cutting concerns (e.g., authentication, logging).
- utils/: Helper functions reused across modules.
This structure serves both web and mobile APIs efficiently, ensures easy onboarding for new developers, and plays well with Docker, CI/CD, and cloud deployment pipelines.[^4][^3][^1][^2]