Publish a Dash App in Domino

Dash is a popular Python framework for building interactive web applications. This guide shows how to run Dash apps in Domino, without diving into how Dash itself works. If you’re new to Dash or want examples of what’s possible, visit the Dash Gallery or the Dash documentation.

What you’ll do

Set up a custom Domino environment that includes Dash
Create a project and configure it for app publishing
Add and run Dash sample code that works with Domino routing
Publish and share your app using the Domino Launchpad interface

Step 1: Set up a compute environment

First, create a Domino compute environment that includes Dash:

In Domino, go to Govern > Environments > Create Environment.
Provide a name and description.
Select the Domino Standard Environment as the base image.
Click Create Environment.
To add Dash, click Edit Definition and append the following lines to the Dockerfile:
USER root RUN pip install dash==3.0.4 USER ubuntu
Then, click Build and wait for the process to complete.

This sets up a custom environment that supports Dash apps.

Step 2: Create a Project

Now you’ll create a project in Domino to hold your Dash app:

From Domino, go to Develop > Projects > Create Project.
Name your Project and click Create.
In the sidebar, go to Settings > Compute environment and select the environment you just built.
Go to Code > Add File, name the file app.py, and click Save.

Your project is now configured with the correct environment and is ready for app development.

Step 3: Add app code

You’ll now add the Python code for your Dash app. Domino requires a few lines of setup to handle routing correctly, but you can use any Dash app layout or logic you like. This basic app confirms that Dash is working in Domino. It renders a static Plotly chart with no data dependencies or interactivity. To make your Dash app work in Domino, set routing with Domino environment variables and serve the app from 0.0.0.0 on port 8888.

Open the app.py file you created earlier.

Paste in the following code and save the file:

import os
import plotly.express as px
from dash import Dash, dcc, html

# Domino-specific routing
runurl = os.environ.get("DOMINO_RUN_HOST_PATH")

# Create app with routing config
app = Dash(__name__,
            routes_pathname_prefix='/',
            requests_pathname_prefix=runurl)

# Basic static chart
fig = px.scatter(x=[1, 2, 3], y=[4, 1, 6], title="Sample Scatter Plot")

# App layout
app.layout = html.Div([
    html.H1("Minimal Dash App"),
    dcc.Graph(figure=fig)
])

# Launch on a port and Domino-compatible host
if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(port=8888, host='0.0.0.0', debug=False)

Step 4: Add a startup script

Domino runs your app using a startup script. Create it like this:

In the project sidebar, go to Code > Add File.
Name the file app.sh and add python app.py to the file.
Click Save.

This tells Domino how to launch your app during publishing.

Step 5: Publish and deploy the App

Before Domino 6.3.0, selecting Publish App created and deployed the App in one step. In 6.3.0, the EnableAppsSDLC feature flag is enabled by default and separates the workflow: preview the App in a Workspace, publish a version, then deploy that version.

Create the App

On your project’s Deploy > Apps & Agents page, select Create, then App in Workspace. Any workspace you already have open works too. See Create an App.

Preview it

In the workspace, open the App Preview tab and set the App file, Compute Environment, and Hardware Tier. Commit your code first, because preview runs the latest committed code. See Develop and test an App.

Publish a version

Select Publish App, then Publish as a new App. This records an immutable version and doesn’t start it.

Deploy the version

On the App details page, select the version and select Deploy, then set access under Access and sharing. See Publish and deploy App versions and Share an App.

Set Permissions to Anyone in Domino to share the App with every Domino user, and leave Make globally discoverable selected so others can find it. You can change both later. Once the app is Running, click View App to open it in a new tab. This launches your Dash app with a Domino toolbar and shareable link. To share your app:

Go to Deployments > Apps & Agents, and click Copy App Link.
Open the link while signed in as a Domino user who isn’t a Project collaborator to test broad access.
Share the URL with collaborators.
To browse other published apps, go to Deploy > Apps in the top nav.

Your Dash app is now hosted, versioned, and accessible in Domino. To explore more app designs or features, visit the Dash Gallery or the Dash documentation. These resources offer a wide range of examples you can experiment with and adapt to your own needs.

Next steps

Apps in Domino gives an overview of how apps work within the Domino ecosystem.
Create an App covers the two entry points for a new App, and why creating one no longer deploys it.
Learn more about how apps in Domino run and what identity and permissions are used.

Core Concepts

Features

Publish a Dash App in Domino

What you’ll do

Step 1: Set up a compute environment

Step 2: Create a Project

Step 3: Add app code

Step 4: Add a startup script

Step 5: Publish and deploy the App

Next steps

​What you’ll do

​Step 1: Set up a compute environment

​Step 2: Create a Project

​Step 3: Add app code

​Step 4: Add a startup script

​Step 5: Publish and deploy the App

​Step 6: Share the App

​Next steps

What you’ll do

Step 1: Set up a compute environment

Step 2: Create a Project

Step 3: Add app code

Step 4: Add a startup script

Step 5: Publish and deploy the App

Step 6: Share the App

Next steps