pyparsing
pyparsing - Classes and methods to define and execute parsing grammars
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. pyparsing is a mature, actively maintained library with zero dependencies, permissive licensing, and broad Python version support. It solves a real parsing problem more readably than regex or lex/yacc for many use cases. Install it if you need to parse text or define grammars programmatically.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.9 or later.
- Low install friction; pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies.
- Active maintenance with last commit 2026-08-12 and 2482 repository stars.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) — you can use, modify, and distribute pyparsing with minimal restrictions, including in commercial projects.
last release 2026-01-21 (205 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-12 · 2,482 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 412,671,524 downloads/mo, #103 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from pyparsing import Word, alphas
greet = Word(alphas) + "," + Word(alphas) + "!"
hello = "Hello, World!"
print(hello, "->", greet.parse_string(hello))What it is and what it does
pyparsing is a parsing library that lets you define grammars as Python code rather than using traditional lex/yacc tools or regular expressions. You compose grammar rules from pyparsing's classes using intuitive operators (+, |, ^), and the library handles common parsing headaches like variable whitespace, quoted strings, and embedded comments automatically. The parsed results come back as a ParseResults object that can be accessed as a list, dictionary, or object with named attributes.
The library has been in active development since 2007 and is widely used for building domain-specific language parsers, configuration file readers, SQL parsers, and similar text-processing tasks. It requires no external dependencies and works across Python 3.9 and later on all platforms.
Use it for
- Parse configuration files or domain-specific languages by defining grammar rules directly in Python.
- Extract structured data from text (e.g., log files, command output) without writing complex regex patterns.
- Build a simple SQL or query parser for application-specific query languages.
- Validate and parse command-line arguments or structured text formats with automatic whitespace handling.
- Create a chemical formula parser or similar domain-specific notation parser.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
pyparsing is a mature, actively maintained library with zero dependencies, permissive licensing, and broad Python version support. It solves a real parsing problem more readably than regex or lex/yacc for many use cases. Install it if you need to parse text or define grammars programmatically.
Install
pyparsing on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction; pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Active maintenance with last commit 2026-08-12 and 2482 repository stars. Supports Python 3.9 through 3.14.
Requires Python 3.9 or later.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) — you can use, modify, and distribute pyparsing with minimal restrictions, including in commercial projects.
Quickstart
from pyparsing import Word, alphas
greet = Word(alphas) + "," + Word(alphas) + "!"
hello = "Hello, World!"
print(hello, "->", greet.parse_string(hello))Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 205 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 412,671,524 / month, #103 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Information TechnologyOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Software Development :: CompilersTopic :: Text ProcessingTyping :: Typed |
Evidence: pyparsing-3.3.2-py3-none-any.whl
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