---
id: pyobjc-framework-cfnetwork
version: "12.2.2"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pyobjc-framework-CFNetwork — Wrappers for the framework CFNetwork on macOS

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 664.3K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pyobjc-framework-cfnetwork is a thin wrapper layer that exposes Apple's CFNetwork framework to Python code running on macOS. CFNetwork provides low-level abstractions for network protocols, and this package makes those abstractions callable from Python by bridging Objective-C to CPython. The wrapper is part of the larger PyObjC project and depends on pyobjc-core and pyobjc-framework-Cocoa to handle the translation between Python and Objective-C semantics.

The package is most useful for macOS-specific networking tasks where you need direct access to system-level network APIs—particularly proxy autoconfiguration scripts and network diagnostics. Because it wraps native framework code rather than reimplementing it, it gives you access to the same APIs that native macOS applications use, but from Python. The trade-off is that it only works on macOS and requires knowledge of both the CFNetwork API (documented by Apple) and PyObjC's conventions for calling Objective-C from Python.

Use it for:

- Detect and configure proxy settings automatically on macOS using CFNetwork's proxy autoconfiguration APIs.
- Implement network diagnostics tools on macOS that need access to low-level networking information.
- Build macOS system utilities that require direct interaction with the CFNetwork framework.
- Integrate CFNetwork capabilities into cross-platform Python applications with macOS-specific code paths.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides Python bindings to macOS's CFNetwork framework, enabling access to networking abstractions including proxy autoconfiguration and network diagnostics APIs.

Yes, if you are developing on macOS and need direct access to CFNetwork APIs for proxy configuration or network diagnostics. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and carries a permissive MIT license. Install friction is moderate due to platform specificity and compiled dependencies, but that is unavoidable for native framework bindings. Not applicable for non-macOS development.

## Install

pip install pyobjc-framework-cfnetwork
uv add pyobjc-framework-cfnetwork
poetry add pyobjc-framework-cfnetwork

## Installing pyobjc-framework-CFNetwork

Before you install: Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheels (macOS only, multiple Python versions). Active maintenance with recent release (3 days old) and steady repository activity; requires pyobjc-core and pyobjc-framework-Cocoa as runtime dependencies.

License in practice: MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for both open-source and proprietary projects.

Quickstart:

pip install pyobjc-framework-cfnetwork

from CFNetwork import CFNetworkCopyProxiesForAutoConfigurationScript
# Access CFNetwork APIs through the imported module

macOS only; requires Python 3.10 or later; depends on pyobjc-core and pyobjc-framework-Cocoa.

Verify before relying:

- Specific CFNetwork APIs exposed and their completeness relative to the native framework.
- Whether proxy autoconfiguration and diagnostics APIs are fully functional or have known limitations.
- Performance characteristics when calling into Objective-C from Python via these bindings.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 664.3K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

macos cfnetwork python bindings, proxy autoconfiguration python, network diagnostics macos, pyobjc cfnetwork wrapper, cocoa networking framework, macos network protocols python, macos-native, objective-c-bindings

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