et-xmlfile
An implementation of lxml.xmlfile for the standard library
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to write large XML files and want to avoid memory bloat. The package is stable, has no dependencies, and installs easily. The dormant maintenance status is not a blocker—the API is simple and the problem it solves is well-defined. Install it if incremental XML writing fits your use case; skip it if your XML documents are small or you already use lxml.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 dormant—last release was 658 days ago—but the package is marked Production/Stable and supports current Python versions through 3.13.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.
last release 2024-10-25 (658 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 343,296,429 downloads/mo, #121 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install et-xmlfile
from et_xmlfile import xmlfile
from xml.etree.ElementTree import Element
with xmlfile('output.xml') as xf:
elem = Element('root')
xf.write(elem)- Whether performance characteristics relative to lxml's xmlfile or SAX-based alternatives matter for your use case
- Whether the `.element()` method performance caveat (mentioned in the description) affects your intended usage pattern
What it is and what it does
et_xmlfile is a memory-efficient XML writer for the Python standard library, designed to handle large XML file generation without loading the entire document tree into memory. It writes elements incrementally to disk or stream as they are created, clearing memory after each write—solving the problem that the standard library's iterparse has no equivalent for writing. The package is an implementation of lxml's xmlfile API, allowing code to work with both libraries.
Originally developed for the openpyxl project, et_xmlfile requires Python 3.8 or later and has no external runtime dependencies. The library trades some performance for simplicity and memory efficiency; while faster than SAX-based approaches, it is generally slower than lxml's native xmlfile. It is most efficient when creating elements directly rather than using the `.element()` context manager method.
Use it for
- Generate large Excel files (XLSX) without exhausting memory, as used by openpyxl
- Stream XML output for data exports or reports that exceed available RAM
- Write XML logs or event feeds incrementally without buffering the entire document
- Build XML documents in environments with strict memory constraints
- Port code between standard library and lxml by using a compatible API
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to write large XML files and want to avoid memory bloat.
The package is stable, has no dependencies, and installs easily. The dormant maintenance status is not a blocker—the API is simple and the problem it solves is well-defined. Install it if incremental XML writing fits your use case; skip it if your XML documents are small or you already use lxml.
Install
et-xmlfile on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is dormant—last release was 658 days ago—but the package is marked Production/Stable and supports current Python versions through 3.13.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.
Quickstart
pip install et-xmlfile
from et_xmlfile import xmlfile
from xml.etree.ElementTree import Element
with xmlfile('output.xml') as xf:
elem = Element('root')
xf.write(elem)Verify before relying
- Whether performance characteristics relative to lxml's xmlfile or SAX-based alternatives matter for your use case
- Whether the `.element()` method performance caveat (mentioned in the description) affects your intended usage pattern
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 658 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 343,296,429 / month, #121 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/StableLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: POSIXProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9 |
Evidence: et_xmlfile-2.0.0-py3-none-any.whl
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