Update app.py

app.py

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from flask import Flask, request, jsonify
+from flask import Flask, request, jsonify, Response
 import os
 import joblib
 import pandas as pd
@@ -6,15 +6,16 @@ from typing import Any, Optional
 
 app = Flask(__name__)
 
+# You can override this in Space Settings → Environment variables
 MODEL_PATH = os.getenv("MODEL_PATH", "best_model_random_forest.joblib")
 
-_model: Optional[Any] = None  # lazy-loaded
-_pipe: Optional[Any] = None
+_model: Optional[Any] = None   # raw object or dict bundle
+_pipe: Optional[Any] = None    # the actual estimator/pipeline to call .predict()
 _model_error: Optional[str] = None
 
 
 def load_model_if_needed():
-    """Load the model/pipeline once, on demand. Keeps the app booting even if loading fails."""
+    """Load the model lazily so the app can boot even if the model is missing."""
     global _model, _pipe, _model_error
     if _pipe is not None or _model_error is not None:
         return
@@ -28,10 +29,16 @@ def load_model_if_needed():
         _pipe = _model["pipeline"] if isinstance(_model, dict) and "pipeline" in _model else _model
 
     except Exception as e:
-        # Capture the error so the app keeps running and can report it on / and /health
         _model_error = f"Failed to load model from '{MODEL_PATH}': {e}"
 
 
+# --- Readiness / health endpoints -------------------------------------------------
+
+@app.route("/__ping__", methods=["GET"])
+def ping_plain():
+    # Very light, plain-text for platform health checks
+    return Response("ok", mimetype="text/plain", status=200)
+
 @app.route("/", methods=["GET"])
 def home():
     load_model_if_needed()
@@ -43,7 +50,6 @@ def home():
         "model_error": _model_error
     })
 
-
 @app.route("/health", methods=["GET"])
 def health():
     load_model_if_needed()
@@ -51,6 +57,8 @@ def health():
     return jsonify({"status": status, "model_path": MODEL_PATH, "model_error": _model_error})
 
 
+# --- Inference endpoint -----------------------------------------------------------
+
 @app.route("/predict", methods=["POST"])
 def predict():
     load_model_if_needed()
@@ -77,7 +85,9 @@ def predict():
         return jsonify({"error": str(e)}), 400
 
 
-# Local dev only; Spaces runs gunicorn and ignores this block.
+# Local dev only; Spaces runs gunicorn to import app:app
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    port = int(os.getenv("PORT", 5000))  # Spaces Server SDK often binds to 5000
+    # Use HF’s common port for local dev; platform will manage ports in production
+    port = int(os.getenv("PORT", 7860))
+    print(f"Starting Flask dev server on http://0.0.0.0:{port}")
     app.run(host="0.0.0.0", port=port, debug=False)