dirtyjson
JSON decoder for Python that can extract data from the muck
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to parse non-standard JSON and can tolerate abandoned maintenance. The package is stable, has no dependencies, and works reliably for its core purpose. However, do not install if you require active bug fixes, security updates, or support for future Python versions—the last commit was 2022-11-28 and the project shows no signs of revival. For new projects, consider whether standard JSON with preprocessing might be more maintainable.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 is inactive—last commit was 2022-11-28 and shows no recent activity.
- Suitable for stable, read-only use cases but not for active development or bug fixes.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT License (permissive) — Dual-licensed under MIT License and Academic Free License (AFL), both permissive. You may use, modify, and distribute freely in proprietary or open-source projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2022-11-28 (1355 days) · last repo commit 2022-11-28 · 49 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 11,617,464 downloads/mo, #1,379 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import dirtyjson
data = dirtyjson.loads("[\"foo\", /* comment */ {bar: ['baz', null, 1.0, 2,]}]")
print(data)
pos = data.attributes(0)
print(pos.line, pos.column)- Whether the package handles modern Python versions beyond 3.10 without issues given abandoned maintenance status.
- Performance characteristics when parsing very large or deeply nested JSON-like structures.
- Compatibility with recent versions of PyPy if that is a deployment target.
What it is and what it does
dirtyjson is a JSON decoder that reads JSON-like data from files violating the official JSON standard. It accepts single quotes, line and inline comments, dangling commas, unquoted single-word keys, and hexadecimal/octal number literals. The parser returns Python objects wrapped in AttributedDict and AttributedList subclasses that preserve line and column position metadata for every element, allowing you to map results back to source locations.
The package is designed for extracting structured data from JavaScript files or other sources where strict JSON compliance is not guaranteed. It exposes a familiar API similar to the standard library's json module, offering load() and loads() functions but no write capability. Position tracking makes it useful for building error messages or source-aware parsers that need to report exactly where in the original file a problem occurred.
Use it for
- Extract configuration objects from JavaScript files that use unquoted keys or trailing commas.
- Parse JSON responses from APIs or data files that include comments or non-standard syntax.
- Build a linter or code analyzer that needs to report errors with precise line and column references.
- Read JSON-like data embedded in source code where strict compliance is impractical.
- Migrate legacy systems that generate or consume non-standard JSON variants.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to parse non-standard JSON and can tolerate abandoned maintenance.
The package is stable, has no dependencies, and works reliably for its core purpose. However, do not install if you require active bug fixes, security updates, or support for future Python versions—the last commit was 2022-11-28 and the project shows no signs of revival. For new projects, consider whether standard JSON with preprocessing might be more maintainable.
Install
dirtyjson on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is inactive—last commit was 2022-11-28 and shows no recent activity. Suitable for stable, read-only use cases but not for active development or bug fixes.
License in practice
Dual-licensed under MIT License and Academic Free License (AFL), both permissive. You may use, modify, and distribute freely in proprietary or open-source projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
import dirtyjson
data = dirtyjson.loads("[\"foo\", /* comment */ {bar: ['baz', null, 1.0, 2,]}]")
print(data)
pos = data.attributes(0)
print(pos.line, pos.column)Verify before relying
- Whether the package handles modern Python versions beyond 3.10 without issues given abandoned maintenance status.
- Performance characteristics when parsing very large or deeply nested JSON-like structures.
- Compatibility with recent versions of PyPy if that is a deployment target.
Package facts
| License | MIT License permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 1,355 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 11,617,464 / month, #1,379 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Academic Free License (AFL)License :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.5Programming Language :: Python :: 2.6Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: dirtyjson-1.0.8-py3-none-any.whl
Tags
Let your AI agent find packages like this
Example. Real query, live index.
You found this page by searching. An agent finds it by wishing: SkillFed indexes 14,416 PyPI packages by what they can do, searchable in plain language.
wish › “dirty json decoder”
- dirtyjsonParses JSON-like data from files containing syntax violations—single…
- django-dirtyfieldsTracks which fields on a Django model instance have been modified in…
- simplejsonsimplejson encodes Python objects to JSON and decodes JSON strings…
Give your agent the search over MCP, or paste the wish link into any chat.
More Python Modules packages
Converts domain names between Unicode and ASCII-compatible encoding (Punycode) according to IDNA 2008 and Unicode Technical Standard 46, with security validation and broader script coverage than the standard library.
Install it if you work with internationalized domain names, need to validate domains, or use HTTP clients that depend on it transitively.
Setuptools is a Python build backend and package management tool that handles building, distributing, and installing Python packages, including support for C/C++ extension modules.
PyYAML parses and emits YAML 1.1 data format, enabling serialization and deserialization of configuration files and Python objects to and from human-readable YAML text.
Pydantic validates Python data structures against type hints, coercing and checking input at runtime to ensure it matches a declared schema.
Provides reusable metadata objects for use with PEP-593 `typing.Annotated` to express common constraints like bounds, collection sizes, and predicates on types.
Install it if you use or build libraries that need to express type constraints in a standardized, inspectable way—or if you want to annotate your own types with…
Provides runtime tools to inspect and introspect Python type annotations, enabling programmatic examination of type hints at execution time.
See also demjson3 · hjson · json-source-map · poyo · json5kit · partial-json-parser · json-with-comments · simplejson · bioc · chompjs