Creating a New Application on Google App Engine

The first step in following our web application tutorials is to create a new application on Google App Engine.  So we don't have to repeat the steps each time, this tutorial will be included at the beginning of each project.

Step 1 - Sign Up for Google App Engine

• If you don't already have a free Google Account,  sign-up for one.
• Using your Google account, sign up for Google App Engine.

Step 2 - Download the AppEngine Python SDK

• Our projects are built on Ubuntu Linux and use the Python SDK.  Projects are developed on the local machine in a sandbox using the Software Dev Kit, which you can download here.

Step 3 - Create a New Application

• At the AppEngine homepage, you'll be presented with a list of your applications.  At the bottom, click "Create Application" and input a name for your webapp.

Create a new application.

• All of our webapps use the default security.  Click "Create Application".

Step 4 - Update App.yaml

• The first step in either creating a new app, or using our source code, is to modify app.yaml to use your new project name.  Open your project directory (not the SDK directory) and open or create app.yaml in your text editor of choice.
• The first line is the application name, which you chose in Step 3.  In Fig 2, our project is called myapsystem, so replace this with your own project name.

Fig 2.  Generic app.yaml file

• Lastly, when you chose your project name and set the security to the default setting, you still have options.  For individual projects, each page is set to login: admin that you can see in Fig 2.  If you want to host an app to anybody with a Google login, change this to login: required.  If you don't want a login, delete this line.

 Step 5 - Upload the Web Application