Creating and invoking Python actions

The process of creating Python actions is similar to that of other actions. The following sections guide you through creating and invoking a single Python action, and demonstrate how to bundle multiple Python files and third party dependencies.

1. Create a Python_app folder and then create a package directory.Now create a Python file with the following content inside our packages/python. For this example, the file name is hello.py.

#--web true
#--kind python:default

def main(args):
  name = args.get("name", "stranger")
  result = f"Hello {name}!"
  print(result)
  return {"greeting": result}

The Python file might contain additional functions. However, by convention, a function called main must exist to provide the entry point for the action.

Your directory structure should looks like this:

Python_app
└── packages
    └── Python
        └── hello.py

2. Run the following command to deploy the action

ops ide deploy

3. Ops will create the action automatically. For this example, the action is called python/hello.

/home/openserverless/.ops/tmp/deploy.pid
PID 278075
> Scan:
>> Action: packages/python/hello.py
> Deploying:
>> Package: python
$ $OPS package update python 
ok: updated package python
>>> Action: packages/python/hello.py
$ $OPS action update python/hello packages/python/hello.py --web true --kind python:default
ok: updated action python/hello
build process exited with code 0
UPLOAD ASSETS FROM web
==================| UPLOAD RESULTS |==================
| FILES      : 0
| COMPLETED  : 0
| ERRORS     : 0
| SKIPPED    : 0
| EXEC. TIME : 2.37 ms
======================================================
URL: http://opstutorial.localhost:80

Note: To use a specific version of Python runtime, change the kind property --kind python:3.11, or --kind python:3.12 in the hello.py file.

4. To invoke the action run the following command:

ops action invoke python/hello --param name Marina --result

Packaging Python actions in zip files

Sometimes you action would be more complex and probably you prefer to create multiple file in order to organize better your code.

In this example we’re creating a more complex python action.

1. Create a folder complex_action inside packages/python folder. Then create two python files

main.py

#--web true
#--kind python:default
import utils

def main(args):
  name = args.get("name", "stranger")
  result = utils.concat_string("Nice to meet you,",name)
  return {"greeting": result}

utils.py

def concat_string(first_string: str, second_string: str):
  return f"{first_string} {second_string}"

Note: The filename of the source file containing the entry point (e.g., main) must be __main__.py.

2. Deploy the action using ide deploy

ops ide deploy

3. Now you can invoke your action. In this case the action name is python/complex_action

ops action invoke python/complex_action --param name Marina --result