dpath
Filesystem-like pathing and searching for dictionaries
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. dpath is a stable, dependency-free utility for a common task—navigating nested dicts with path syntax. It has no known vulnerabilities, permissive licensing, and broad Python version support. The dormant maintenance status is not a blocker for a mature, focused library with no active dependencies to break. Install it if you work frequently with nested dictionaries or configuration structures.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.7 or later.
- Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies.
- The package is dormant (last release 2024-06-12, last commit 2024-07-09), but it is marked Production/Stable and has been actively maintained since its initial 2013-05-11 release.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—you may use, modify, and distribute dpath freely provided you include the license notice.
last release 2024-06-12 (793 days) · last repo commit 2024-07-09 · 627 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 11,340,497 downloads/mo, #1,397 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install dpath
import dpath
x = {"a": {"b": {"43": 30}}}
result = dpath.get(x, '/a/b/43') # Returns 30
matches = dpath.search(x, 'a/b/*') # Search with glob patterns- Whether the package is actively maintained going forward or if dormancy signals end-of-life intent.
- Performance characteristics on very large or deeply nested dictionaries.
- Compatibility with non-string dictionary keys beyond what the description shows.
What it is and what it does
dpath is a Python library that treats nested dictionaries as if they were filesystems, letting you navigate and query them using slash-separated paths and glob patterns. Instead of writing nested bracket notation like `x['a']['b']['43']`, you write `dpath.get(x, '/a/b/43')`. It supports glob syntax (e.g., `[cd]` to match keys 'c' or 'd', or `*` to match any key at a level) for bulk operations like searching, setting, or deleting multiple values at once.
The library provides functions to get single values, search for all matches (returning a filtered dictionary or yielding path-value tuples), extract just the values, set or create new paths (with automatic intermediate key creation), delete matching paths, and merge dictionaries deeply. It has no external dependencies and works with modern Python versions (3.7 through 3.12), making it a lightweight utility for working with configuration files, JSON data, or any nested dict structure where path-based access is clearer than nested indexing.
Use it for
- Query configuration files or JSON documents using glob patterns to find all matching keys without nested loops.
- Bulk update or delete values in deeply nested dictionaries by specifying a path glob instead of iterating manually.
- Create new nested paths in a dictionary automatically (like `mkdir -p`) without manually creating intermediate dicts.
- Extract a subset of a large nested structure by searching for keys matching a pattern and returning only the matching branches.
- Merge two configuration dictionaries deeply, combining lists and nested objects instead of shallow replacement.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
dpath is a stable, dependency-free utility for a common task—navigating nested dicts with path syntax. It has no known vulnerabilities, permissive licensing, and broad Python version support. The dormant maintenance status is not a blocker for a mature, focused library with no active dependencies to break. Install it if you work frequently with nested dictionaries or configuration structures.
Install
dpath on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. The package is dormant (last release 2024-06-12, last commit 2024-07-09), but it is marked Production/Stable and has been actively maintained since its initial 2013-05-11 release.
Requires Python 3.7 or later.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—you may use, modify, and distribute dpath freely provided you include the license notice.
Quickstart
pip install dpath
import dpath
x = {"a": {"b": {"43": 30}}}
result = dpath.get(x, '/a/b/43') # Returns 30
matches = dpath.search(x, 'a/b/*') # Search with glob patternsVerify before relying
- Whether the package is actively maintained going forward or if dormancy signals end-of-life intent.
- Performance characteristics on very large or deeply nested dictionaries.
- Compatibility with non-string dictionary keys beyond what the description shows.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 793 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 11,340,497 / month, #1,397 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/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTyping :: Typed |
Evidence: dpath-2.2.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also globmatch · pathtools · path · flatdict · pathable · mo-dots · glom · wcmatch · mergedeep · dict-recursive-update