autopage
A library to provide automatic paging for console output
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you are building CLI tools in Python and want professional paging behavior without boilerplate. The library is simple, dependency-free, and well-tested. Maintenance is aging but the code is stable and no vulnerabilities are known. The only caveat is that POSIX support is explicit in classifiers; verify Windows compatibility if that is a target platform.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies.
- Maintenance status is aging—last commit was 2026-01-30 and the package has not been released in 196 days—but the repository is active and not archived.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — Licensed under Apache Software License 2.0 (permissive). Safe for commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.
last release 2026-01-30 (196 days) · last repo commit 2026-01-30 · 7 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,451,162 downloads/mo, #3,885 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install autopage
import sys
import autopage
with autopage.AutoPager() as out:
for l in sys.stdin:
out.write(l)- Whether the package works on Windows (classifiers list POSIX only, but description mentions Windows pager fallback).
- Performance characteristics when handling very large outputs or high-frequency streaming data.
What it is and what it does
Autopage is a Python library that wraps your program's output stream to automatically invoke a pager (typically `less`) when the output exceeds one screen, and skip the pager entirely when it doesn't. It mimics the behavior of tools like `git` and `man`, which intelligently decide whether paging is needed. The library respects ANSI color codes, handles file redirects correctly, and lets the end user override the pager command via the `PAGER` environment variable.
You integrate it by wrapping your output in an `AutoPager` context manager, or by importing `autopage.argparse` to automatically page `argparse` help output. It supports line buffering for streaming data, terminal reset on exit, and custom error handling. The library works with Python 3.6 through 3.15 and has no external dependencies.
Use it for
- Automatically page help output from CLI tools built with argparse without modifying the help formatter.
- Stream log or status data to the terminal with line buffering so users see updates in real time before paging kicks in.
- Build a CLI tool that behaves like `git` or `man`, paging output only when it fills the screen.
- Preserve ANSI color codes in paged output while respecting shell redirects and pipes.
- Let end users override the pager command via `PAGER` environment variable in your Python application.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you are building CLI tools in Python and want professional paging behavior without boilerplate.
The library is simple, dependency-free, and well-tested. Maintenance is aging but the code is stable and no vulnerabilities are known. The only caveat is that POSIX support is explicit in classifiers; verify Windows compatibility if that is a target platform.
Install
autopage on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance status is aging—last commit was 2026-01-30 and the package has not been released in 196 days—but the repository is active and not archived.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache Software License 2.0 (permissive). Safe for commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install autopage
import sys
import autopage
with autopage.AutoPager() as out:
for l in sys.stdin:
out.write(l)Verify before relying
- Whether the package works on Windows (classifiers list POSIX only, but description mentions Windows pager fallback).
- Performance characteristics when handling very large outputs or high-frequency streaming data.
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.6 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Aging 196 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,451,162 / month, #3,885 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Environment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI ApprovedLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseOperating System :: POSIXProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.15Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: TerminalsTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: autopage-0.6.0-py3-none-any.whl
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