This page describes the libraries and tools and provides other information to
help you get started using Endpoints Frameworks for Python. See
[About Endpoints Frameworks](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/about-cloud-endpoints-frameworks.md.txt)
for an architectural overview of Endpoints Frameworks.

## Libraries and tools

Cloud Endpoints Frameworks for the App Engine standard environment
provides the following libraries and tools:


- The [Frameworks library](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/get-started-frameworks-python.md.txt#installing_the_library).
- The [`endpointscfg.py`](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/endpoints_tool.md.txt) command-line tool, which you use to generate the following:
  - Client library bundles and [Discovery documents](https://developers.google.com/discovery/v1/reference/apis), which allow Android apps and other types of client applications to access your API.
  - [OpenAPI configuration files](https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification/blob/master/versions/2.0.md), which you use if you want [API management](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/adding-api-management.md.txt) functionality such as monitoring, logging, and API key validation.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Because the API backend is an App Engine application, developers can use services and features available in the App Engine standard environment, such as [Datastore](https://docs.cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/python/datastore), [Cloud Storage](https://cloud.google.com/storage/docs/overview) , [Mail](https://docs.cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/python/mail) , [Url Fetch](https://docs.cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/python/urlfetch) , [Task queues](https://docs.cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/python/taskqueue) , and so forth. And finally, by using App Engine for the backend, developers are freed from system admin work, load balancing, scaling, and server maintenance.

## Requirements

> [!IMPORTANT]
> **Important:** Endpoints Frameworks supports only Python 2.7.x. It doesn't support Python 3.x.

To use Endpoints Frameworks, follow the process shown in the
[Tutorial](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/get-started-frameworks-python.md.txt).

And finally, you need to know how to develop the client of your choice, such as
JavaScript web clients, or mobile clients, such as Android.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** You cannot call a Cloud Endpoints API directly from a [push task queue](https://docs.cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/standard/python/taskqueue#push_queues) or a [cron job](https://docs.cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/standard/python/config/cron#Python_calling_google_cloud_endpoints).

## Development process

The general workflow for developing an application using
Endpoints Frameworks is:

1. Write your API code first, wrapping the classes and any exposed methods, and creating `Message` classes as described in [Create an Endpoints API](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/create_api.md.txt).
2. [Create a web server](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/api_server.md.txt) to serve your API.
3. Generate the OpenAPI configuration file and deploy it as described in the [Tutorial](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/get-started-frameworks-python.md.txt).
4. Optionally, [test your API locally](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/test-deploy.md.txt#testing_an_api_locally).
5. [Deploy the API](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/test-deploy.md.txt).
6. [Generate client libraries](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/gen_clients.md.txt).
7. Write your client application by using the client libraries when making calls to the API.

## Getting started

To get started, follow the

[Tutorial](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/get-started-frameworks-python.md.txt)


to configure, deploy, and send requests to a sample API. Then come back to this
section for the information you need to configure, deploy, and test your own
API.

## Migrating from Endpoints version 1.0

If you've already developed an API backend using the previous version of
Endpoints, follow the

[Migration guide](https://docs.cloud.google.com/endpoints/docs/frameworks/python/migrating.md.txt)

to move your app to Endpoints version 2.0.