colour-runner
Colour formatting for unittest tests
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No, unless you are maintaining a legacy project locked to Python 2.7 or 3.3–3.5. The package is abandoned (last commit 2018-10-05) and targets end-of-life Python versions. Modern alternatives are better choices for current projects. If you need colored test output, consider other actively maintained tools.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Package targets Python 2.7 and 3.3–3.5; compatibility with modern Python versions is unverified.
- Low install friction with only two lightweight dependencies (blessings and pygments).
- However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2018-10-05 with no commits since then.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive and imposes no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.
last release 2018-10-05 (2870 days) · last repo commit 2018-10-05 · 33 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 207,404 downloads/mo, #9,552 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install colour-runner
from colour_runner.runner import ColourTextTestRunner
import unittest
runner = ColourTextTestRunner()
runner.run(unittest.TestLoader().discover('.'))- Whether the package works with Python versions beyond 3.5
- Whether blessings and pygments remain compatible with modern Python ecosystems
- Whether color output respects terminal capabilities or TERM environment variables correctly
What it is and what it does
colour-runner wraps Python's unittest framework to inject colored formatting into test output, making pass/fail/error states visually distinct in the terminal. It provides drop-in replacements for unittest.TextTestRunner and unittest.TextTestResult, and includes a Django-specific mixin for projects using Django's test runner.
The package depends on blessings and pygments for terminal capability detection and syntax highlighting. It was last maintained in 2018 and targets Python 2.7 and 3.3–3.5, making it unsuitable for modern Python projects without significant updates. No known security vulnerabilities exist, but the abandonment status means compatibility with current Python versions and dependencies is uncertain.
Use it for
- Colorize unittest output in CI/CD pipelines to make test failures more visually obvious in logs
- Add color formatting to Django test runs via the ColourRunnerMixin for better local development feedback
- Highlight test result categories in terminal output for manual test runs
- Use in projects still running Python 2.7 or early Python 3 versions
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No, unless you are maintaining a legacy project locked to Python 2.7 or 3.3–3.5.
The package is abandoned (last commit 2018-10-05) and targets end-of-life Python versions. Modern alternatives are better choices for current projects. If you need colored test output, consider other actively maintained tools.
Install
colour-runner on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with only two lightweight dependencies (blessings and pygments). However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2018-10-05 with no commits since then. It targets Python 2.7 and 3.3–3.5, which are now end-of-life.
Package targets Python 2.7 and 3.3–3.5; compatibility with modern Python versions is unverified.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive and imposes no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.
Quickstart
pip install colour-runner
from colour_runner.runner import ColourTextTestRunner
import unittest
runner = ColourTextTestRunner()
runner.run(unittest.TestLoader().discover('.'))Verify before relying
- Whether the package works with Python versions beyond 3.5
- Whether blessings and pygments remain compatible with modern Python ecosystems
- Whether color output respects terminal capabilities or TERM environment variables correctly
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagesblessingspygments |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 2,870 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 207,404 / month, #9,552 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 3 - AlphaIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Topic :: Software Development :: Testing |
Evidence: colour_runner-0.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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