backports.csv
Backport of Python 3 csv module
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. This package is abandoned and designed for Python 2, which is no longer supported. If you are on Python 2, you should migrate to Python 3, where the csv module is built-in and fully featured. If you are already on Python 3, use the standard library csv module directly. There is no modern use case for this backport.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Designed for Python 2; Python 2 reached end-of-life in 2020.
- Modern Python 3 includes the csv module natively.
- Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies.
License · maintenance · safety
(unclear) — License treatment is unclear—no SPDX identifier or raw license text is provided. Verify the actual license before using in proprietary or GPL-sensitive contexts.
last release 2019-03-11 (2713 days) · last repo commit 2020-10-27 · 64 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 147,203 downloads/mo, #11,075 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from backports import csv
import io
with io.open('data.csv', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as f:
for row in csv.reader(f):
print(row)- Actual license terms—license_treatment is 'unclear' with no SPDX or raw license text provided.
- Whether this package is still safe to use given its abandoned status and Python 2 EOL.
What it is and what it does
backports.csv backports Python 3's csv module to Python 2, bridging a significant API gap caused by differences in how str is handled between the two versions. Python 3's csv module natively supports Unicode, while Python 2's does not; this package brings that capability to Python 2 code.
The package provides a drop-in replacement by importing from `backports.csv` instead of the standard library. It has no runtime dependencies and installs with low friction. However, it is explicitly designed for Python 2, which reached end-of-life in 2020, and the package itself has been abandoned since 2019 with no further maintenance.
Use it for
- Migrating Python 2 codebases to use Python 3's csv semantics while still running on Python 2.
- Reading and writing CSV files with Unicode content in Python 2 applications.
- Ensuring consistent CSV handling across Python 2 and Python 3 during a gradual migration.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
This package is abandoned and designed for Python 2, which is no longer supported. If you are on Python 2, you should migrate to Python 3, where the csv module is built-in and fully featured. If you are already on Python 3, use the standard library csv module directly. There is no modern use case for this backport.
Install
backports-csv on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned—last commit was 2020-10-27 and no releases since 2019-03-11. Python 2 itself reached end-of-life in 2020, making this package obsolete for new projects.
Designed for Python 2; Python 2 reached end-of-life in 2020. Modern Python 3 includes the csv module natively.
License in practice
License treatment is unclear—no SPDX identifier or raw license text is provided. Verify the actual license before using in proprietary or GPL-sensitive contexts.
Quickstart
from backports import csv
import io
with io.open('data.csv', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as f:
for row in csv.reader(f):
print(row)Verify before relying
- Actual license terms—license_treatment is 'unclear' with no SPDX or raw license text provided.
- Whether this package is still safe to use given its abandoned status and Python 2 EOL.
Package facts
| License | Not declared unclear |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 2,713 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 147,203 / month, #11,075 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Programming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.6Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7 |
Evidence: backports.csv-1.0.7-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also csv23 · unicodecsv · traceback2 · pyorc · textwrap3 · clevercsv · edn-format · django-queryset-csv · contextlib2 · libhxl