prefixmaps
A python library for retrieving semantic prefix maps
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you work with RDF, ontologies, or semantic web technologies. The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries no security vulnerabilities, and solves a real problem in prefix management. The Development Status 1 classifier is a caution flag—verify that the API stability and performance meet your needs before adopting in production.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with just two runtime dependencies (curies and pyyaml).
- Active maintenance with recent commits; however, the package is marked as Development Status 1 - Planning, suggesting it may still be stabilizing.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), allowing broad use including in commercial projects with minimal restrictions beyond attribution and liability disclaimers.
last release 2024-10-17 (666 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-02 · 14 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 327,984 downloads/mo, #7,561 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install prefixmaps
from prefixmaps import load_converter
from curies import Converter
converter: Converter = load_converter(["obo", "bioregistry.upper", "linked_data"])
converter.expand("CHEBI:1")
# Returns: 'http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CHEBI_1'- Whether the package's performance characteristics meet production requirements (TODO noted in description for 'fast').
- Stability guarantees given the Development Status :: 1 - Planning classifier despite active maintenance.
What it is and what it does
Prefixmaps is a Python library that aggregates semantic prefix maps from multiple sources (OBO, Bioregistry, prefix.cc, linked data) and provides a unified interface to expand compact URIs (CURIEs) into full namespace URIs. It is designed primarily for RDF document generation and tools that need to resolve short-form identifiers to semantic namespaces.
The library handles prefix collisions across sources by allowing you to specify a priority ordering of prefix maps. It includes built-in data files for reproducibility and network independence, with an optional refresh mode to fetch the latest upstream definitions. It depends on curies for the actual expansion logic and pyyaml for configuration handling.
Use it for
- Expand compact identifiers like 'CHEBI:1' to full RDF URIs in ontology-based applications.
- Generate RDF document headers with appropriate prefix declarations from multiple semantic sources.
- Resolve prefix collisions when integrating multiple ontologies or identifier systems with custom priority ordering.
- Build tools that convert short-form biomedical identifiers to resolvable URIs for linked data.
- Maintain reproducible prefix mappings without network dependencies by using versioned data files.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you work with RDF, ontologies, or semantic web technologies.
The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries no security vulnerabilities, and solves a real problem in prefix management. The Development Status 1 classifier is a caution flag—verify that the API stability and performance meet your needs before adopting in production.
Install
prefixmaps on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with just two runtime dependencies (curies and pyyaml). Active maintenance with recent commits; however, the package is marked as Development Status 1 - Planning, suggesting it may still be stabilizing.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), allowing broad use including in commercial projects with minimal restrictions beyond attribution and liability disclaimers.
Quickstart
pip install prefixmaps
from prefixmaps import load_converter
from curies import Converter
converter: Converter = load_converter(["obo", "bioregistry.upper", "linked_data"])
converter.expand("CHEBI:1")
# Returns: 'http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CHEBI_1'Verify before relying
- Whether the package's performance characteristics meet production requirements (TODO noted in description for 'fast').
- Stability guarantees given the Development Status :: 1 - Planning classifier despite active maintenance.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release <4.0,>=3.8 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagescuriespyyaml |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 666 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 327,984 / month, #7,561 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 1 - PlanningLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Bio-Informatics |
Evidence: prefixmaps-0.2.6-py3-none-any.whl
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See also prefixcommons · curies · sssom · semantic-link-functions-geopandas · smmap · SPARQLWrapper · linkml · rdflib · edam-ontology