linear-tsv
Line-oriented, tab-separated value format
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. The package is abandoned, last released in 2018, and only tested on Python 2.6, 2.7, and 3.5. Install only if you are maintaining legacy code that already depends on it or if you have a strict requirement for the Linear TSV format and cannot use a maintained alternative. For new projects, prefer a maintained TSV or CSV library.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Package is abandoned since 2018 and only supports Python 2.6, 2.7, and 3.5; compatibility with modern Python versions is unverified.
- High install friction due to source distribution only.
- Package is abandoned as of 2018 with no recent maintenance, though the repository remains archived and unstarred.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache (permissive) — Licensed under Apache (permissive), placing no restrictions on commercial or proprietary use, though the abandoned status means no ongoing legal or security support.
last release 2018-01-20 (3128 days) · last repo commit 2018-01-20 · 10 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 249,872 downloads/mo, #8,644 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import tsv
import sys
# Parse TSV stream to list of lists
lists = tsv.un(sys.stdin)
# Write rows back to TSV
strings = tsv.to(lists, sys.stdout)- Whether the package works with Python versions beyond 3.5 (no recent testing or maintenance)
- Whether escape handling correctly implements the full Linear TSV specification in all edge cases
- Performance characteristics on large datasets or streaming use
What it is and what it does
Linear TSV is a Python library for reading and writing tabular data in the Linear TSV format, a line-oriented, tab-separated serialization designed to be compatible with Unix command-line tools like sort, fgrep, and cut. Unlike CSV, where newlines are quoted and records can span multiple physical lines, Linear TSV uses escape sequences (\n for newline, \t for tab, \r for carriage return, \\ for backslash) to ensure every logical record is exactly one physical line, making naive byte-level splitting on tab (0x09) and newline (0x0a) characters reliable.
The package provides both simple functional APIs (un() to parse, to() to write) and CSV-compatible reader/writer/DictReader/DictWriter classes for drop-in compatibility with existing CSV workflows. It derives its format specification from the TEXT serialization mode of PostgreSQL and MySQL. However, the package has been abandoned since January 2018 and is only tested against Python 2.6, 2.7, and 3.5, making it a poor choice for new projects unless you have a specific requirement for the Linear TSV format or are maintaining legacy code.
Use it for
- Process tabular data with Unix shell tools (sort, grep, cut) without parsing complications from quoted newlines in CSV
- Migrate data from PostgreSQL or MySQL TEXT output mode while preserving the native escape format
- Build data pipelines where line-oriented processing is essential and record boundaries must never be ambiguous
- Replace CSV in locales where comma is the decimal separator, using tab as an unambiguous field delimiter
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
The package is abandoned, last released in 2018, and only tested on Python 2.6, 2.7, and 3.5. Install only if you are maintaining legacy code that already depends on it or if you have a strict requirement for the Linear TSV format and cannot use a maintained alternative. For new projects, prefer a maintained TSV or CSV library.
Install
linear-tsv on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction due to source distribution only. Package is abandoned as of 2018 with no recent maintenance, though the repository remains archived and unstarred. Suitable only for legacy systems or when Linear TSV format is explicitly required.
Package is abandoned since 2018 and only supports Python 2.6, 2.7, and 3.5; compatibility with modern Python versions is unverified.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache (permissive), placing no restrictions on commercial or proprietary use, though the abandoned status means no ongoing legal or security support.
Quickstart
import tsv
import sys
# Parse TSV stream to list of lists
lists = tsv.un(sys.stdin)
# Write rows back to TSV
strings = tsv.to(lists, sys.stdout)Verify before relying
- Whether the package works with Python versions beyond 3.5 (no recent testing or maintenance)
- Whether escape handling correctly implements the full Linear TSV specification in all edge cases
- Performance characteristics on large datasets or streaming use
Package facts
| License | Apache permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 3,128 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 249,872 / month, #8,644 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.6Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5 |
Evidence: linear-tsv-1.1.0.tar.gz
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