{"categories":[{"label":"Python Modules","url":"https://skillfed.io/packages/category/software-development-libraries-python-modules/4"},{"label":"Widget Sets","url":"https://skillfed.io/packages/category/software-development-widget-sets"}],"enrichment":{"capability":"Urwid is a Python console UI library that lets you build text-based applications with widgets, event loops, and display modes for Linux, macOS, and limited Windows support.","skillfed_tags":["tui-framework","event-loop-agnostic"],"use_cases":["Build interactive CLI tools with menus, forms, and scrollable lists without wrestling with raw curses.","Create system monitoring dashboards or admin interfaces that run in a terminal.","Develop text-based games or interactive fiction with rich UI elements.","Build terminal-based data browsers or log viewers with dynamic content.","Integrate terminal UI into async Python applications using asyncio or Twisted event loops."],"what_it_does":"Urwid is a mature console UI library that abstracts away terminal complexity and lets you build interactive text applications using a widget-based model. It handles rendering, input events, and terminal compatibility across Unix-like systems and partially Windows, supporting UTF-8 and various color modes (24-bit true color down to 88 color). The library includes pre-built widgets (text boxes, buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, list boxes) and lets you choose your event loop (asyncio, Twisted, Glib, Tornado, trio, ZeroMQ, or a built-in select-based loop), making it suitable for everything from simple CLI tools to complex interactive applications.\n\nYou use Urwid by composing widgets into a display hierarchy, wrapping them in a MainLoop, and running the loop to handle user input and rendering. The library handles automatic text wrapping and alignment, smooth resizing, and terminal mode negotiation. It's been in active development since 2012 with a large contributor base and is currently maintained by multiple developers.","worth_installing":"Yes. Urwid is a stable, actively maintained library with low install friction and no known vulnerabilities. The copyleft license (LGPL-2.1-only) is a real constraint for proprietary software but poses no issue for open-source or internal tools. Install it if you need to build a non-trivial console UI; for simple output, consider lighter alternatives."},"id":"urwid","links":{"html":"https://skillfed.io/packages/urwid","md":"https://skillfed.io/packages/urwid.md","pypi":"https://pypi.org/project/urwid/"},"maintenance":{"status":"active"},"meta":{"latest_release":"2026-08-14","license_spdx":"LGPL-2.1-only","license_treatment":"copyleft","name":"urwid","python_support":"supports_current","summary":"A full-featured console (xterm et al.) user interface library"},"popularity":{"monthly_downloads":6828798,"position":1839,"tier":"top_5000"},"security":{"n_vulnerabilities":0},"version":"4.0.9"}