---
id: attr
version: "0.3.2"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# attr — Simple decorator to set attributes of target function or class in a DRY way.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 441.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

attr is a lightweight decorator for attaching metadata to Python functions and classes without repeating configuration code. It was designed to reduce boilerplate when setting Django admin field attributes like short_description and admin_order_field, allowing you to declare them once as decorator arguments instead of assigning them after function definition.

The package has been abandoned since 2022-07-13 and is now overshadowed by a more popular package that uses the same import name, creating namespace conflicts. With no runtime dependencies and a permissive MIT license, it installs cleanly, but its lack of maintenance and the naming collision make it a poor choice for new projects.

Use it for:

- Reduce repetition when setting Django admin metadata on calculated fields without separate assignment statements.
- Attach custom attributes to functions or classes using decorator syntax instead of post-definition assignment.
- Legacy Django projects that need minimal decorator support for metadata attachment.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

A decorator that attaches metadata attributes to functions or classes without repeating boilerplate code.

No. The package is abandoned (last release 2022-07-13, no commits since), and namespace shadowing issues are documented in its own description. For new projects, consider alternatives. For legacy code already using attr, migration is advisable to avoid import collision.

## Install

pip install attr
uv add attr
poetry add attr

## Installing attr

Before you install: Installation is frictionless with no runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2022-07-13 with no recent repository activity.

License in practice: MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, suitable for both open and proprietary projects.

Quickstart:

pip install attr
from attr import attr

@attr(short_description='Field', admin_order_field='real_field')
def my_calculated_field():
    pass

A popular package named attrs now shadows this module's import name; the fact sheet recommends using the dry_attr alias instead to avoid conflicts.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the namespace collision with the popular attrs package causes import or runtime issues in modern Python.
- Whether Python 2.7 support listed in classifiers remains functional or is purely historical.
- Current compatibility with modern Python versions given the 1493 days since last release.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 441.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

function decorator metadata, django admin field attributes, dry decorator pattern, function attribute decorator, reduce boilerplate attributes, decorator, abandoned, django

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