django-rest-framework-docs

What it is and what it does

django-rest-framework-docs is a documentation generator for Django REST Framework v2 APIs. It scans your project's URL patterns, identifies endpoints inheriting from DRF views, and extracts metadata—endpoint names, docstrings, HTTP methods, serializer fields, and custom parameters—to produce a browsable HTML inventory and optionally a JSON API representation of your endpoints.

The package is no longer maintained and has been superseded by Django REST Swagger. Its last release was in 2013 and its final commit in 2016. It is explicitly incompatible with modern Django and DRF versions, supporting only Django 1.4–1.5 and DRF 2.1–2.3. No runtime dependencies are required, but the narrow version constraints and abandonment make it unsuitable for new projects.

Use it for:

• Documenting a legacy Django 1.4–1.5 REST Framework v2 API that cannot be upgraded.
• Generating a machine-readable JSON inventory of DRF v2 endpoints for a deprecated system.
• Browsing and understanding the structure of an old DRF v2 codebase before migration.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Generates browsable documentation and an inventory of Django REST Framework v2 API endpoints by scanning URL patterns and extracting endpoint metadata, methods, and serializer properties.

No. The package is abandoned (last commit 2016), explicitly recommends users switch to Django REST Swagger, and is incompatible with any modern Django or DRF version. Install friction is high and maintenance is nonexistent. Use only if maintaining a legacy Django 1.4–1.5 system that cannot be upgraded; otherwise, use a maintained alternative.

Install

django-rest-framework-docs on PyPI

pip install django-rest-framework-docs

uv add django-rest-framework-docs

poetry add django-rest-framework-docs

Installing django-rest-framework-docs

Before you install

High install friction due to age and abandonment. Last release was in 2013, last commit in 2016. The package itself explicitly recommends users switch to Django REST Swagger instead. No runtime dependencies, but compatibility is limited to Django 1.4–1.5 and Django REST Framework 2.1–2.3, making it incompatible with modern versions.

License in practice

FreeBSD License (permissive). No licensing restrictions on use or redistribution, but the package's abandonment means no ongoing legal or security maintenance.

Quickstart

pip install django-rest-framework-docs

# In settings.py
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'rest_framework_docs',
]

# In urls.py
url(r'^rest-api/', include('rest_framework_docs.urls')),

# Visit /rest-api/ to view documentation

Requires Django 1.4–1.5 and Django REST Framework 2.1–2.3. Will not work with modern Django or DRF versions.

Verify before relying

• Whether the package actually works with any currently-supported Django or DRF versions despite stated requirements.
• Whether the high install friction is due to missing wheels or other packaging issues beyond version incompatibility.

Package facts

Evidence: django-rest-framework-docs-0.1.7.macosx-10.8-intel.exe; django-rest-framework-docs-0.1.7.tar.gz

Tags

More WWW/HTTP packages