pkgutil_resolve_name
Resolve a name to an object.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, but only if you are stuck on Python versions before 3.9 and need this specific function. If you are on Python 3.9 or later, use the standard library's pkgutil.resolve_name instead. The package is abandoned and will not receive updates, so treat it as a temporary bridge rather than a long-term dependency.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.6 or later; on Python 3.9+ you should use the standard library's pkgutil.resolve_name instead.
- Installation is frictionless—a pure-Python wheel with no runtime dependencies.
- However, the package is abandoned; the last release was in July 2021 and the last commit in August 2023, so it will not receive updates or security patches going forward.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — Licensed under MIT (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute it freely with minimal legal friction.
last release 2021-07-21 (1850 days) · last repo commit 2023-08-27 · 2 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 21,528,413 downloads/mo, #1,000 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pkgutil-resolve-name
from pkgutil_resolve_name import resolve_name
obj = resolve_name('os.path.join')- Whether the backported function's behavior is fully identical to Python 3.9's implementation across all edge cases.
- Whether this package is still necessary given that Python 3.9 is now several versions old and many projects have moved to newer Python versions.
What it is and what it does
This package backports Python 3.9's pkgutil.resolve_name function to older Python versions. It takes a dotted name as a string—like 'os.path.join' or 'mymodule.MyClass'—and resolves it to the actual object it refers to, performing the necessary imports and attribute lookups under the hood.
The package is a minimal utility with no external dependencies, making it lightweight to install. However, it has been abandoned since mid-2021 and receives no active maintenance, so it will not be updated to handle new Python features or edge cases discovered after that point.
Use it for
- Dynamically load and instantiate classes or functions by their fully-qualified name in configuration-driven applications.
- Implement plugin systems where plugins are specified as dotted name strings in config files.
- Build introspection or serialization tools that need to convert string references back into live Python objects.
- Support legacy code running on older Python versions that needs the resolve_name API before it was added to the standard library.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, but only if you are stuck on Python versions before 3.9 and need this specific function.
If you are on Python 3.9 or later, use the standard library's pkgutil.resolve_name instead. The package is abandoned and will not receive updates, so treat it as a temporary bridge rather than a long-term dependency.
Install
pkgutil-resolve-name on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is frictionless—a pure-Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned; the last release was in July 2021 and the last commit in August 2023, so it will not receive updates or security patches going forward.
Requires Python 3.6 or later; on Python 3.9+ you should use the standard library's pkgutil.resolve_name instead.
License in practice
Licensed under MIT (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute it freely with minimal legal friction.
Quickstart
pip install pkgutil-resolve-name
from pkgutil_resolve_name import resolve_name
obj = resolve_name('os.path.join')Verify before relying
- Whether the backported function's behavior is fully identical to Python 3.9's implementation across all edge cases.
- Whether this package is still necessary given that Python 3.9 is now several versions old and many projects have moved to newer Python versions.
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.6 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 1,850 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 21,528,413 / month, #1,000 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License |
Evidence: pkgutil_resolve_name-1.3.10-py3-none-any.whl
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