---
id: pyct
version: "0.6.0"
license: BSD-3-Clause
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# pyct — Python package common tasks for users (e.g. copy examples, fetch data, ...)

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 526.4K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pyct is a utility package designed for Python project maintainers to automate common packaging and distribution tasks. It provides two main modules: pyct.cmd, which adds subcommands to existing argparse-based CLI tools (or creates new ones) for copying examples and fetching data, and pyct.build, which helps package examples alongside a project during setup. The package also includes a reporting utility to check package versions in the current environment, useful for Jupyter notebook users and environment diagnostics.

The package depends only on param and supports Python 3.8 through 3.13. It is intended to be integrated into downstream projects (like those in the PyViz ecosystem) to provide consistent example and data management workflows. Commands can be customized via YAML-based dataset definitions and support test-data stubs for smaller development iterations.

Use it for:

- Provide users with a command to download and organize project examples and associated datasets in a consistent way
- Automate copying example files into a package during build and distribution
- Check installed package versions across the current Python environment from within a Jupyter notebook
- Fetch large datasets on demand with fallback to smaller test files for development
- Integrate example management into downstream projects without reimplementing the same logic

## Worth the install?

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

Provides command-line and Python utilities for package maintainers to manage examples, fetch data, and report package versions across a project.

Yes, if you maintain a Python project that distributes examples and data files. The low install friction and permissive license make it a practical choice for project maintainers. The aging status (322 days since release) is not a blocker since the repository is still active, but verify that pyct.build's implementation aligns with your current packaging workflow before adopting it.

## Install

pip install pyct
uv add pyct
poetry add pyct

## Installing pyct

Before you install: Low friction installation with a single runtime dependency (param). The package is aging (322 days since last release) but the repository remains active and supported across Python 3.8 through 3.13.

License in practice: BSD-3-Clause permissive license allows use in most projects without significant restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install pyct

import pyct
pyct.report(['python', 'param'])

Verify before relying:

- Whether pyct.cmd's plugin system (try/import/except pattern) is stable enough for production use in downstream packages
- Current state of pyct.build's example packaging functionality and whether it has changed since the note about future changes

## Package facts

- License: BSD-3-Clause (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 526.4K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

copy examples command line, fetch data utility, package examples management, data download automation, version reporting tool, project maintenance utilities, example distribution, package-maintenance, example-distribution, cli-utilities

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/pyct) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pyct/)