The word "**server**" is commonly used to refer to both the remote/cloud computer (the physical or virtual machine) and also the program that is running on that machine (e.g. Uvicorn).

Just keep in mind that when you read "server" in general, it could refer to one of those two things.

...and the more exotic ones:

* `OPTIONS`
* `HEAD`
* `PATCH`
* `TRACE`

In the HTTP protocol, you can communicate to each path using one (or more) of these "methods".

---

When building APIs, you normally use these specific HTTP methods to perform a specific action.

Normally you use:

* `POST`: to create data.
* `GET`: to read data.
* `PUT`: to update data.
* `DELETE`: to delete data.

## 0.14.0

* Improve automatically generated names of *path operations* in OpenAPI (in API docs). A function `read_items` instead of having a generated name "Read Items Get" will have "Read Items". PR [#155](https://github.com/tiangolo/fastapi/pull/155).

* Kubernetes with an Ingress Controller like Nginx
    * With an external component like cert-manager for certificate renewals
* Handled internally by a cloud provider as part of their services (read below 👇)

    // Use it with other programs, like
    $ echo "Hello $Env:MY_NAME"

    Hello Wade Wilson
    ```

    </div>

### Read env vars in Python

You could also create environment variables outside of Python, in the terminal (or with any other method), and then read them in Python.

For example you could have a file `main.py` with:

```Python hl_lines="3"
import os

name = os.getenv("MY_NAME", "World")

* Create a file `main.py` with:

```Python
from typing import Union

from fastapi import FastAPI

app = FastAPI()


@app.get("/")
def read_root():
    return {"Hello": "World"}


@app.get("/items/{item_id}")
def read_item(item_id: int, q: Union[str, None] = None):
    return {"item_id": item_id, "q": q}
```

<details markdown="1">
<summary>Or use <code>async def</code>...</summary>

* Create a file `main.py` with:

```Python
from typing import Union

from fastapi import FastAPI

app = FastAPI()


@app.get("/")
def read_root():
    return {"Hello": "World"}


@app.get("/items/{item_id}")
def read_item(item_id: int, q: Union[str, None] = None):
    return {"item_id": item_id, "q": q}
```

<details markdown="1">
<summary>Or use <code>async def</code>...</summary>

## Advanced User Guide

There is also an **Advanced User Guide** that you can read later after this **Tutorial - User guide**.

The **Advanced User Guide**, builds on this, uses the same concepts, and teaches you some extra features.

But you should first read the **Tutorial - User Guide** (what you are reading right now).

* Create a `main.py` file with:

```Python
from typing import Union

from fastapi import FastAPI

app = FastAPI()


@app.get("/")
def read_root():
    return {"Hello": "World"}


@app.get("/items/{item_id}")
def read_item(item_id: int, q: Union[str, None] = None):
    return {"item_id": item_id, "q": q}
```

### Dockerfile