empty-files
Serves empty files of many types
What it is and what it does
empty-files generates minimal, valid empty files of various types—such as a 1x1 pixel JPG—to support the Null Object pattern in Python. Instead of returning None or null values that require defensive checks, code can return an empty file object and call methods on it directly without conditionals. The package depends on requests and supports Python 3.7.1 and later.
The package was last updated on 2023-07-30 and is now abandoned, meaning no active maintenance or bug fixes are expected. It remains available for use in projects that need lightweight test fixtures or placeholder files, but users should be aware that issues will not be addressed by the maintainers.
Use it for:
- Generate placeholder image files (e.g., 1x1 JPG) for testing without external dependencies.
- Create empty test fixtures of various file types for unit tests and approval testing.
- Implement the Null Object pattern to return valid empty files instead of None, eliminating null checks.
- Populate temporary directories with minimal valid files for integration tests.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Creates minimal valid empty files of various types—for example, a 1x1 pixel JPG—implementing the Null Object pattern to avoid null checks in code.
Yes, if you need lightweight empty file generation for testing. The low install friction and permissive license make it suitable for test suites. However, be aware the package is abandoned—no updates or fixes are forthcoming. Use it only for stable, self-contained use cases where you do not expect future support.
Install
empty-files on PyPI
pip
pip install empty-filesuv
uv add empty-filespoetry
poetry add empty-filesInstalling empty-files
Before you install
Low install friction with a single dependency (requests). However, the package is marked abandoned with no releases since 2023-07-30, so maintenance and bug fixes are unlikely.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache Software License (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install empty-files
from empty_files.empty_files import create_empty_file
create_empty_file("temp/empty.jpg")
Verify before relying
- Which file types are supported beyond JPG—the fact sheet does not enumerate the full list of creatable file types.
- Whether the requests dependency is actually used at runtime or is a leftover from development.
- Current compatibility with Python versions beyond those listed, given the package is abandoned.
Package facts
| License | not declared (permissive) |
| Python support | supports the current Python release (>=3.7.1) |
| Install friction | low — pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 — requests |
| Maintenance | abandoned — 1,111 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 143,551/month — #11,171 on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-14) |
| Known vulnerabilities | none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14) |
Evidence: empty_files-0.0.9-py3-none-any.whl
Tags
More Libraries packages
urllib3 is an HTTP client library that provides…
permissive · top 100 on PyPI
requestsRequests is a Python HTTP library that…
permissive · top 100 on PyPI
pluggyPluggy provides a plugin system that lets you…
permissive · top 100 on PyPI
python-dateutilProvides parsing, arithmetic, and recurrence…
permissive · top 100 on PyPI
sixSix provides utility functions to write Python…
permissive · top 100 on PyPI
pytestpytest is a testing framework that lets you…
permissive · top 100 on PyPI
nulltypeDefines custom null and sentinel values that…
permissive · top 5,000 on PyPI
img2pdfConverts raster images to PDF without…
copyleft · top 5,000 on PyPI
staticmapGenerates static map images with geographic…
unclear · top 15,000 on PyPI
exrexExrex generates all or random strings matching…
agpl · top 15,000 on PyPI
undictifyEnforces type annotations at runtime by…
permissive · top 15,000 on PyPI
fill-voidsFills interior voids in 2D and 3D binary images…
copyleft · top 15,000 on PyPI
filecheckfilecheck is a Python implementation of LLVM's…
permissive · top 15,000 on PyPI
pyoxipngpyoxipng reduces PNG file sizes through…
permissive · top 15,000 on PyPI
fpdfGenerates PDF documents from Python code,…
copyleft · top 5,000 on PyPI
niltypeProvides a `Nil` singleton object to represent…
permissive · top 15,000 on PyPI