py-walk
Filter filesystem paths based on gitignore-like patterns
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need gitignore-compatible pattern matching and can tolerate dormant maintenance. The library is lightweight, has no known vulnerabilities, and solves a specific problem well. However, if you expect active bug fixes or compatibility updates as Git evolves, consider whether the dormant status (657 days since last release) aligns with your project's needs.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with a single runtime dependency (sly).
- Maintenance is dormant—last commit was 2024-10-26 and no release in 657 days—but the repository remains active and unarchived.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — MIT license (permissive); you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.
last release 2024-10-26 (657 days) · last repo commit 2024-10-26 · 8 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,410,155 downloads/mo, #3,941 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install py-walk
from py_walk import walk
for path in walk('some/directory', ignore=['*.pyc', '__pycache__/']):
print(path)- Whether the 500+ tests mentioned in the description are still passing against current Git versions.
- Whether dormant status means bug fixes or pattern compatibility updates are unlikely going forward.
What it is and what it does
py-walk is a Python library that interprets gitignore-style patterns to filter filesystem paths. It provides two main workflows: walking a directory tree and returning only paths that match or don't match a set of patterns, or creating a parser object to test individual paths against patterns on demand. The library aims for Git wildmatch compatibility and includes tests derived from Git's own test suite.
You pass patterns as text, a list, or a .gitignore file, optionally specifying a base directory. The walk function returns a generator of Path objects; you can also filter by file vs. directory mode, or combine ignore and match rules (with ignore taking precedence). It depends only on sly for parsing and supports Python 3.7 through 3.12.
Use it for
- Build tools or linters that need to offer users a .gitignore-style configuration file to exclude or include paths.
- Interactive scripts that need to quickly retrieve sets of files matching complex constraints without reimplementing gitignore logic.
- Test runners or deployment tools that must respect .gitignore patterns to avoid processing excluded directories.
- File synchronization or backup utilities that want to honor gitignore rules without calling out to Git itself.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need gitignore-compatible pattern matching and can tolerate dormant maintenance.
The library is lightweight, has no known vulnerabilities, and solves a specific problem well. However, if you expect active bug fixes or compatibility updates as Git evolves, consider whether the dormant status (657 days since last release) aligns with your project's needs.
Install
py-walk on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a single runtime dependency (sly). Maintenance is dormant—last commit was 2024-10-26 and no release in 657 days—but the repository remains active and unarchived.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive); you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install py-walk
from py_walk import walk
for path in walk('some/directory', ignore=['*.pyc', '__pycache__/']):
print(path)Verify before relying
- Whether the 500+ tests mentioned in the description are still passing against current Git versions.
- Whether dormant status means bug fixes or pattern compatibility updates are unlikely going forward.
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagesly |
| Maintenance | Dormant 657 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,410,155 / month, #3,941 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 LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9 |
Evidence: py_walk-0.3.3-py3-none-any.whl
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See also gitmatch · trailrunner · pathspec · igittigitt · gitignorefile · ignore-python · rignore · gitignore-parser · ignore · gitignorant