Lifespan context manager in FastAPI - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Using Lifespan Context Manager in FastAPI

📖 Scenario: You are building a simple FastAPI web application that needs to perform setup and cleanup tasks when the app starts and stops. This is common when connecting to databases or opening files.

🎯 Goal: Learn how to use the lifespan context manager in FastAPI to run code during app startup and shutdown.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a FastAPI app instance

Define a lifespan context manager function

Use asynccontextmanager from contextlib

Print messages on startup and shutdown inside the lifespan

Use the lifespan context manager when creating the FastAPI app

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Many web applications need to initialize resources like database connections or caches when they start, and clean them up when they stop. The lifespan context manager in FastAPI helps manage these tasks cleanly.

💼 Career

Understanding how to manage app startup and shutdown is important for backend developers working with FastAPI or similar frameworks to ensure reliable and maintainable services.

1

Create the FastAPI app instance

Import FastAPI from fastapi and create a variable called app that is an instance of FastAPI().

FastAPI

# Import FastAPI and create app instance
# Your code here

Hint

Use from fastapi import FastAPI and then app = FastAPI().

2

Define the lifespan context manager function

Import asynccontextmanager from contextlib. Define an async function called lifespan that uses the @asynccontextmanager decorator. Inside it, print "Starting up...", then yield, then print "Shutting down...".

FastAPI

from fastapi import FastAPI
from contextlib import asynccontextmanager

app = FastAPI()

# Define lifespan context manager function
# Your code here

Hint

Use @asynccontextmanager to decorate an async function named lifespan. Print before and after yield.

3

Use the lifespan context manager in the FastAPI app

Modify the app variable to pass the lifespan function as the lifespan parameter when creating the FastAPI instance.

FastAPI

from fastapi import FastAPI
from contextlib import asynccontextmanager

# Pass lifespan to FastAPI app
app = FastAPI()

@asynccontextmanager
async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
    print("Starting up...")
    yield
    print("Shutting down...")

# Your code here

Hint

Pass lifespan=lifespan when creating the FastAPI app.

4

Add a simple route to test the app

Add a route to app using the @app.get("/") decorator. Define an async function called read_root that returns a dictionary with {"message": "Hello World"}.

FastAPI

from fastapi import FastAPI
from contextlib import asynccontextmanager

@asynccontextmanager
async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
    print("Starting up...")
    yield
    print("Shutting down...")

app = FastAPI(lifespan=lifespan)

# Add a GET route for '/' that returns a welcome message
# Your code here

Hint

Use @app.get("/") and define async def read_root() returning the dictionary.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of the lifespan context manager in a FastAPI application?

easy

A. To manage user authentication and authorization

B. To handle HTTP requests and responses

C. To define API routes and endpoints

D. To run setup code when the app starts and cleanup code when it stops

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of lifespan context manager

   The lifespan context manager is designed to run code at the start and end of the FastAPI app lifecycle.

2. Step 2: Identify its main use

   It is used to set up resources like database connections when the app starts and clean them up when the app stops.

3. Final Answer:

   To run setup code when the app starts and cleanup code when it stops -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Lifespan manages startup and shutdown code = A [OK]

Hint: Lifespan runs code at app start and stop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing lifespan with route handling
• Thinking lifespan manages HTTP requests
• Assuming lifespan handles user sessions

2. Which of the following is the correct way to define a lifespan context manager in FastAPI?

easy

A. async def lifespan(app): yield

B. def lifespan(): return app

C. async def lifespan(): return app

D. def lifespan(app): yield

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall lifespan signature

   The lifespan function must be async and accept the app parameter to manage startup and shutdown.

2. Step 2: Confirm use of yield

   Using yield inside the async function allows running code before and after the yield for startup and shutdown.

3. Final Answer:

   async def lifespan(app): yield -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Async + app param + yield = A [OK]

Hint: Lifespan is async with app param and uses yield [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Forgetting async keyword
• Missing app parameter
• Using return instead of yield

3. Given this FastAPI lifespan code snippet, what will be printed when the app starts and stops?

async def lifespan(app):
    print('Starting app')
    yield
    print('Stopping app')

medium

A. Only 'Starting app' is printed

B. 'Starting app' prints on start, 'Stopping app' prints on shutdown

C. Only 'Stopping app' is printed

D. Neither message is printed

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand yield in lifespan

   The code before yield runs at startup, and code after yield runs at shutdown.

2. Step 2: Match prints to lifecycle events

   So 'Starting app' prints when app starts, and 'Stopping app' prints when app stops.

3. Final Answer:

   'Starting app' prints on start, 'Stopping app' prints on shutdown -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Code before yield = start, after yield = stop [OK]

Hint: Code before yield runs on start, after yield on stop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking both prints run immediately
• Assuming yield blocks all prints
• Confusing start and stop timing

4. What is wrong with this lifespan context manager code?

async def lifespan(app):
    print('Starting')
    return
    print('Stopping')

medium

A. The app parameter is not used, causing runtime error

B. Missing async keyword causes syntax error

C. Using return instead of yield prevents shutdown code from running

D. Print statements are not allowed in lifespan functions

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify use of return instead of yield

   The lifespan function must use yield to separate startup and shutdown code.

2. Step 2: Understand effect of return

   Using return exits the function immediately, so shutdown code after it never runs.

3. Final Answer:

   Using return instead of yield prevents shutdown code from running -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Return exits early; yield separates start/stop [OK]

Hint: Use yield, not return, to run shutdown code [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing return and yield in async functions
• Ignoring that shutdown code runs after yield
• Assuming print statements cause errors

5. You want to open a database connection when your FastAPI app starts and close it when the app stops using the lifespan context manager. Which code correctly implements this?

hard

A. async def lifespan(app):
db = await connect_db()
app.state.db = db
yield
await db.close()

B. async def lifespan(app):
db = await connect_db()
yield
app.state.db = db
await db.close()

C. def lifespan(app):
db = connect_db()
app.state.db = db
yield
db.close()

D. async def lifespan():
db = await connect_db()
app.state.db = db
yield
await db.close()

Solution

1. Step 1: Confirm async function with app parameter

   The lifespan function must be async and accept the app parameter to store the db connection.

2. Step 2: Check order of operations

   Connect to the database before yield, store it on app.state, then close it after yield.

3. Step 3: Verify correct use of await and yield

   Await connect_db and db.close, yield separates startup and shutdown code.

4. Final Answer:

   async def lifespan(app): db = await connect_db() app.state.db = db yield await db.close() -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Async + app param + yield + await connect/close = D [OK]

Hint: Connect before yield, close after, store in app.state [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Placing yield before storing db connection
• Missing async or await keywords
• Not passing app parameter to lifespan