ReferenceAdvancedKnow the student-relevant command-line flags.

Command line

Running your file with Python (python my_app.py, or the Run button in your editor) is the normal way to work, and most projects never need more. The drafter command exists for the occasions you want to change how the app is served or built. python -m drafter is the same command spelled differently, and drafter --help prints the complete live list; this page keeps to the flags students actually reach for.

Running

drafter my_app.py

Starts the development server, opens your browser, and reloads the app whenever you save the file.

Flag	Default	What it does
--port PORT	8000	Serve on a different port, for when 8000 is taken by another program (or a classmate's app on a shared machine).
--host HOST	localhost	Serve to other devices: --host 0.0.0.0 lets your phone on the same network open the app.
--no-open-browser	opens	Do not open a browser tab automatically.
--browser NAME	Chrome, then Firefox, then the system default	Open the site in a particular browser: chrome, firefox, safari, edge, or default for whatever your computer normally uses.
--no-reloader	on	Stop watching your files for changes.
--skip	off	Do not start the server or compile anything: start_server(...) returns immediately. Lets a test runner import the file without launching the site.

Drafter normally watches your program's whole folder so that saving any project file reloads the site, and falls back to watching only your program and the files your site uses when the folder is large or broad (like Downloads). The live reload page covers that behavior and its flags, such as --watch-path, --ignore-watch-path, and --watch-manifest.

Setting the DRAFTER_SKIP environment variable does the same thing as --skip, which is handy when the command being run is not drafter itself; for example, a unit test runner such as pytest importing your file.

To stop the server, press Ctrl+C in the terminal, or use the Stop Server… item in the debug panel's Navigate menu (also reachable at your site's address plus --stop-server). Both end the program the same way.

If you run your program again while an earlier run of the same file is still going, Drafter stops that earlier run first and keeps port 8000. If something else holds port 8000 (another Drafter program, or a run that is stuck), Drafter uses the next free port instead and prints the new address. When you chose a port yourself with --port, Drafter never moves off it; it explains what is using the port and how to stop it.

Appearance and production

Flag	Default	What it does
--theme NAME	default	Start with a theme, same as set_website_style(...) in code. The code version wins if both are used; the theme catalog shows the choices.
--no-frame	framed	Remove the browser-window frame around the app, same as set_website_framed(False).
--production	off	Run without the debug panel, the way visitors will see the deployed site. Worth one look before deploying.

Building for deployment

drafter my_app.py --compile

Compiles the app into static files (in dist/ by default) ready for GitHub Pages; the deploy guide walks the whole journey.

Flag	Default	What it does
--output-directory DIR	dist	Build somewhere else.
--additional-paths PATH	none	Bundle an extra file your code open()s; repeat the flag for each file: --additional-paths pets.csv --additional-paths words.txt. Forgetting this is the classic works-locally, 404s-deployed mistake. The in-code form is add_website_file.
--additional-files PATH	none	Same idea as --additional-paths, but through the site configuration: the flag version of add_website_file(...). Repeat once per file.
--additional-css-files PATH_OR_URL	none	Link a stylesheet (a .css file next to your program, or a URL) into every page; the flag version of add_website_css_file(...). Repeat once per entry.
--additional-js-files PATH_OR_URL	none	Load a script (a .js file next to your program, or a URL) on every page; the flag version of add_website_js_file(...). Repeat once per entry.
--create-404 MODE	if_missing	Whether to write a 404.html next to index.html. That page is what lets a visitor open your deployed site directly on a route, such as your address plus --about. if_missing leaves a 404.html you made yourself alone; always overwrites it; never skips it.
--zip-output	off	Zip the built site, convenient for uploading.

Libraries

Flag	Default	What it does
--project-packages PKG	none	Name a third-party package your app needs when automatic detection misses it; repeat the flag for each package. Third-party libraries explains when.

Related

• The full flag reference, including development and internal options, lives in the repository README; contributors should start at the developer docs.
• Most of what these flags do is also available in code through site configuration, which travels with your file and is usually the better home.