---
id: openapi-codec
version: "1.3.2"
license: BSD
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# openapi-codec — An OpenAPI codec for Core API.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 358.9K/mo

## What it is and what it does

openapi-codec is a serialization bridge between OpenAPI/Swagger API specifications and the Core API framework's internal document representation. It registers as a codec plugin for the Core API ecosystem, allowing the coreapi Python client library and command-line tool to read and write Swagger schemas.

The package provides an OpenAPICodec class that encodes coreapi.Document objects into OpenAPI format and decodes OpenAPI schemas back into Core API documents. It integrates transparently with coreapi's client and CLI tools when installed, but has received no updates since 2019 and its repository is archived. Its utility is entirely dependent on active use of the Core API framework, which itself appears dormant.

Use it for:

- Integrating a Core API client with legacy or third-party services that expose Swagger/OpenAPI schemas.
- Converting OpenAPI specifications into Core API Document objects for programmatic API interaction.
- Using the coreapi command-line tool to explore and interact with Swagger-documented APIs.
- Building API clients that need to work with both Core API and OpenAPI schema formats.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Converts between OpenAPI/Swagger schemas and Core API's internal document format, enabling codec-based serialization and deserialization of API specifications.

No. The package is abandoned (last commit 2019-02-02, repository archived) and tightly coupled to Core API, which itself shows no recent activity. Unless you are maintaining legacy code that already depends on coreapi and openapi-codec, there is no reason to adopt it. Modern alternatives for OpenAPI/Swagger handling are actively maintained.

## Install

pip install openapi-codec
uv add openapi-codec
poetry add openapi-codec

## Installing openapi-codec

Before you install: High install friction: the package has no runtime dependencies but has been abandoned since 2019 with no commits since 2019-02-02. It is tightly coupled to the Core API ecosystem, which itself appears to have stalled. Installation will succeed, but the package receives no maintenance.

License in practice: BSD license is permissive and poses no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in commercial or private projects.

Quickstart:

pip install openapi-codec

from openapi_codec import OpenAPICodec
codec = OpenAPICodec()
schema = codec.encode(document)

Requires a coreapi.Document object to encode; the package is only useful within the Core API ecosystem and depends on coreapi being installed separately.

Verify before relying:

- Whether Core API itself is still maintained or recommended for new projects, as openapi-codec's utility depends entirely on it.
- Current compatibility with modern OpenAPI/Swagger specification versions beyond those supported at the 2019 abandonment date.
- Whether the coreapi-cli command-line integration still functions with current Python versions.

## Package facts

- License: BSD (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 358.9K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

openapi swagger codec, core api schema conversion, openapi document encoder, swagger to coreapi, api schema serialization, openapi format handler, core api codec plugin, openapi-swagger, codec-plugin, abandoned

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