---
id: config
version: "0.5.1"
license: Copyright (C) 2004-2020 by Vinay Sajip. All Rights Reserved. See LICENSE for license.
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# config — A hierarchical, easy-to-use, powerful configuration module for Python

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 1.2M/mo

## What it is and what it does

Config is a Python configuration module that lets you define settings hierarchically in a structured format, with support for nested mappings and sequences. It handles cross-references between configuration values, allows you to reference Python objects without full-blown eval(), and supports includes so you can split configuration across multiple files. You can also merge configurations, cascade settings, and bind them to environment variables or command-line options.

The package is marked as production-stable but has not been maintained since 2021. It has no external runtime dependencies, making it lightweight to install, but the lack of recent updates means it may not work reliably with newer Python versions or address any discovered issues.

Use it for:

- Loading application settings from a config file with environment variable overrides for different deployment environments
- Building a multi-level configuration system where development, staging, and production settings inherit from a base configuration
- Parsing structured configuration files that include references to other parts of the config or external Python objects
- Integrating command-line arguments and environment variables into a unified configuration object for a CLI tool
- Creating reusable configuration templates that can be included and merged across multiple projects

## Worth the install?

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

Provides hierarchical configuration management with support for mappings, sequences, cross-references, environment variable integration, and simple expression evaluation.

Yes, if you need hierarchical configuration and can accept an unmaintained package. The module is stable, has no dependencies, and works for straightforward config-file use cases. However, do not use it if you require active maintenance, support for recent Python versions, or security updates. Consider alternatives for new projects.

## Install

pip install config
uv add config
poetry add config

## Installing config

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies, but the package has been abandoned since 2021 (1798 days without release). No active maintenance or security updates should be expected.

License in practice: Licensed under BSD (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions. The copyright is held by Vinay Sajip, 2004-2020.

Quickstart:

pip install config

import config
cfg = config.Config('myconfig.cfg')
value = cfg.some_key

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works reliably with Python versions beyond 3.7, given classifiers list only up to 3.7
- Current state of the upstream documentation at http://docs.red-dove.com/cfg/python.html and whether it remains accessible
- Whether there are known incompatibilities or edge cases with modern Python that the abandoned status might mask

## Package facts

- License: Copyright (C) 2004-2020 by Vinay Sajip. All Rights Reserved. See LICENSE for license. (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 1.2M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

hierarchical configuration management, python config file parsing, environment variable configuration, configuration merging and cascading, cross-reference config values, python settings management, configuration with expressions, configuration-management, abandoned-package

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