asciitree
Draws ASCII trees.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No, unless you are maintaining legacy code already using it. The package is dormant (last release 2016-09-05), has no specified Python version support, and high install friction. For new projects, consider actively maintained alternatives. The permissive MIT license poses no legal barrier, but the maintenance gap and age make it a poor choice for new development.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Python version support is unspecified; compatibility with modern Python versions is not guaranteed.
- High install friction: the package is dormant (last release 2016-09-05) with no specified Python version support.
- No runtime dependencies, but age and lack of maintenance signal warrant caution for new projects.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive and imposes minimal restrictions; you may use, modify, and distribute the package freely with attribution.
last release 2016-09-05 (3630 days) · last repo commit 2024-02-02 · 90 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 976,487 downloads/mo, #4,593 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from asciitree import LeftAligned
from collections import OrderedDict as OD
tree = {'root': OD([('child', {})])}
tr = LeftAligned()
print(tr(tree))- Whether the package works reliably on current Python versions, given no specified version support and dormant status since 2016.
- Whether the package handles edge cases (very deep trees, unicode characters, wide terminal widths) as expected.
- Current usability on Python versions released after the last 2016-09-05 release.
What it is and what it does
asciitree is a small utility that converts nested dictionary structures into ASCII tree diagrams suitable for printing in a terminal. It takes a dict-based representation of a tree (where keys are node labels and values are child dicts) and renders it using box-drawing characters and indentation.
The package provides a simple interface: instantiate a layout class like LeftAligned, then call it with your tree dict to get a formatted string. It has no runtime dependencies and is straightforward to integrate into scripts or CLI tools that need to display hierarchical data. However, the project has been dormant since 2016-09-05 with no specified Python version support, making it a legacy tool best suited for maintenance of existing code rather than new projects.
Use it for
- Display directory or file hierarchies in a CLI tool without external dependencies.
- Render organizational charts or decision trees in terminal-based applications.
- Debug nested data structures by visualizing their tree form during development.
- Generate ASCII tree output for documentation or log files from programmatic data.
- Build simple terminal UIs that show hierarchical relationships in a human-readable format.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No, unless you are maintaining legacy code already using it.
The package is dormant (last release 2016-09-05), has no specified Python version support, and high install friction. For new projects, consider actively maintained alternatives. The permissive MIT license poses no legal barrier, but the maintenance gap and age make it a poor choice for new development.
Install
asciitree on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction: the package is dormant (last release 2016-09-05) with no specified Python version support. No runtime dependencies, but age and lack of maintenance signal warrant caution for new projects.
Python version support is unspecified; compatibility with modern Python versions is not guaranteed.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive and imposes minimal restrictions; you may use, modify, and distribute the package freely with attribution.
Quickstart
from asciitree import LeftAligned
from collections import OrderedDict as OD
tree = {'root': OD([('child', {})])}
tr = LeftAligned()
print(tr(tree))Verify before relying
- Whether the package works reliably on current Python versions, given no specified version support and dormant status since 2016.
- Whether the package handles edge cases (very deep trees, unicode characters, wide terminal widths) as expected.
- Current usability on Python versions released after the last 2016-09-05 release.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 3,630 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 976,487 / month, #4,593 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: asciitree-0.3.3.tar.gz
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See also asciichartpy · asciidag · treescope · ascii-magic · ascii-guard · terminaltables3 · rich-pixels · art · seedir · pycowsay