skillfed

empty-files

Serves empty files of many types

empty-files v0.0.9 143.6K downloads/30d#11,171 on PyPI1
Permissive license Abandoned released

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-files

uv

uv add empty-files

poetry

poetry add empty-files

Installing 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

Development Status :: 4 - BetaIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: POSIXProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: Utilities

Tags

empty file generatornull object pattern filesminimal valid empty filescreate empty jpg pngplaceholder file creationtest fixture filesempty file types
testingnull-object-patternfixtures

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