nulltype
Null values and sentinels like (but not) None, False & True
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you are working with nested data structures (APIs, XML, JSON) and want cleaner, more readable code for handling missing values. No, if you require active maintenance—the package is abandoned as of 2018-06-03. For new projects, verify compatibility with your Python version and consider whether a modern alternative better fits your codebase.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 status is abandoned (last release 2018-06-03, 2994 days ago), so no active bug fixes or Python version updates should be expected.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache License 2.0 (permissive) — Apache License 2.0 (permissive): you may use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and private projects, provided you include a copy of the license and state any changes made.
last release 2018-06-03 (2994 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 3,233,025 downloads/mo, #2,691 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install nulltype
from nulltype import Empty, Nothing
results = {"threads": None}
for thread in results.get("threads", Nothing):
print(thread)- Whether the package remains compatible with Python versions released after 2018 despite no recent maintenance.
- Real-world adoption rate and whether it is still actively used in production codebases.
What it is and what it does
nulltype lets you create custom null-like sentinel values—instances of NullType or NonNullType—that behave like empty containers (falsy, iterable, indexable) but carry semantic meaning distinct from None. Instead of overloading None to mean "not present," "undefined," "prohibited," or "end of data," you can define separate sentinels like Empty, Nothing, or Passthrough, each with a clear purpose.
The main use case is simplifying nested data access patterns common in REST API responses, XML trees, and other deeply nested structures. Instead of writing guard clauses at each level, you can chain .get() calls with a Nothing sentinel as the fallback, and the sentinel will safely absorb further operations (attribute access, iteration, indexing, calls) without raising exceptions. The package is pure Python with no dependencies, tested against Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, and 3.7, and distributed under Apache License 2.0.
Use it for
- Parsing REST API responses where nested keys may be absent, replacing repeated if-checks with chainable .get() calls using Nothing as a default.
- Traversing XML or JSON parse trees where intermediate nodes might not exist, using a single sentinel to represent all missing branches.
- Creating domain-specific sentinel values (e.g., Prohibited, Undefined, Passthrough) to distinguish different kinds of emptiness in business logic.
- Replacing ad-hoc sentinel classes or magic values with named, printable NullType instances for clarity.
- Implementing the null object pattern in Python without overloading None or False, making code intent explicit.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you are working with nested data structures (APIs, XML, JSON) and want cleaner, more readable code for handling missing values.
No, if you require active maintenance—the package is abandoned as of 2018-06-03. For new projects, verify compatibility with your Python version and consider whether a modern alternative better fits your codebase.
Install
nulltype on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance status is abandoned (last release 2018-06-03, 2994 days ago), so no active bug fixes or Python version updates should be expected.
License in practice
Apache License 2.0 (permissive): you may use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and private projects, provided you include a copy of the license and state any changes made.
Quickstart
pip install nulltype
from nulltype import Empty, Nothing
results = {"threads": None}
for thread in results.get("threads", Nothing):
print(thread)Verify before relying
- Whether the package remains compatible with Python versions released after 2018 despite no recent maintenance.
- Real-world adoption rate and whether it is still actively used in production codebases.
Package facts
| License | Apache License 2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 2,994 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 3,233,025 / month, #2,691 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/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.6Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: nulltype-2.3.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also empty-files · func_args · sentinel · niltype · sentinels · pytest-reraise · pytest-race · Redis-Sentinel-Url · coredis · iterators