cwl-utils
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, no security vulnerabilities, and a permissive license. It fills a clear need for developers working with CWL workflows at scale. Install if you need to parse, validate, transform, or introspect CWL documents programmatically or via CLI.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later (package specifies >=3.10,<3.16).
- Low install friction with a pure Python wheel distribution.
- Active maintenance as of 2026-08-14 with recent release.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache 2.0 (permissive) — Apache 2.0 permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects that can include attribution.
last release 2026-08-14 (0 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 43 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 230,155 downloads/mo, #9,116 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install cwl-utils
from cwl_utils.parser import load_document_by_uri, save
from pathlib import Path
cwl_obj = load_document_by_uri(Path("workflow.cwl"))
saved_obj = save(cwl_obj)- Whether the package's typed classes provide IDE autocomplete and type-checking benefits for CWL document manipulation.
- Performance characteristics when parsing or transforming large or deeply nested CWL workflows.
- Compatibility guarantees or migration path if CWL versions beyond 1.2 are released.
What it is and what it does
cwl-utils is a Python library and CLI toolkit for working with Common Workflow Language documents. It provides autogenerated typed Python classes for loading and parsing CWL v1.0, v1.1, and v1.2 files, plus a suite of command-line tools for common workflow manipulation tasks: extracting container images for pre-pulling, listing software requirements, refactoring inline expressions into separate steps, splitting packed CWL documents, packing workflows into single files, normalizing documents to a canonical form, and generating JSON schemas for workflow inputs.
The library depends on schema-salad for schema handling, ruamel-yaml for YAML parsing, rdflib for RDF support, and several other utilities. It is actively maintained, supports modern Python versions, and carries no known security vulnerabilities. The package is well-suited for developers building CWL workflow management tools, CI/CD integrations, or automation that needs to inspect or transform workflow definitions programmatically.
Use it for
- Pre-pull or cache all Docker/Singularity container images referenced in a CWL workflow before execution.
- Extract and list all software packages and versions declared in a workflow for dependency tracking or citation.
- Refactor CWL documents that use inline JavaScript expressions into separate ExpressionTools for engines that don't support inline evaluation.
- Split a packed (single-file) CWL document into separate files for version control or modular editing.
- Normalize heterogeneous CWL documents to a canonical JSON format with all dependencies bundled and versions upgraded to v1.2.
- Generate JSON Schema definitions for workflow input parameters to validate or document workflow interfaces.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, no security vulnerabilities, and a permissive license. It fills a clear need for developers working with CWL workflows at scale. Install if you need to parse, validate, transform, or introspect CWL documents programmatically or via CLI.
Install
cwl-utils on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure Python wheel distribution. Active maintenance as of 2026-08-14 with recent release. Supports current Python versions (3.10–3.15) and has no known vulnerabilities.
Requires Python 3.10 or later (package specifies >=3.10,<3.16).
License in practice
Apache 2.0 permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects that can include attribution.
Quickstart
pip install cwl-utils
from cwl_utils.parser import load_document_by_uri, save
from pathlib import Path
cwl_obj = load_document_by_uri(Path("workflow.cwl"))
saved_obj = save(cwl_obj)Verify before relying
- Whether the package's typed classes provide IDE autocomplete and type-checking benefits for CWL document manipulation.
- Performance characteristics when parsing or transforming large or deeply nested CWL workflows.
- Compatibility guarantees or migration path if CWL versions beyond 1.2 are released.
Package facts
| License | Apache 2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release <3.16,>=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 7 packagescwl-upgraderpackagingrdflibrequestsruamel-yamlschema-saladtyping-extensions |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 0 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 230,155 / month, #9,116 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: POSIXProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.15Topic :: File FormatsTopic :: Scientific/EngineeringTopic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Information AnalysisTopic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: System :: Distributed ComputingTyping :: Typed |
Evidence: cwl_utils-0.43-py3-none-any.whl
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See also cwl-upgrader · cwltool · cwltest · common-expression-language · langchain-text-splitters · cssselect · parsel · license-expression · hassil · textract