pypyp

What it is and what it does

pyp is a command-line tool that lets you run Python code directly from the shell without boilerplate. You write a Python expression or snippet, and pyp statically analyzes it to infer what you need: it detects undefined variables like `x` (current line), `lines` (all lines), `stdin`, or `i` (loop index), automatically imports any modules you reference, and executes the code with those bindings in place. The result is printed intelligently—dicts and iterables format nicely, and the last expression prints automatically unless it's None or you explicitly call print yourself.

It's designed to replace common shell utilities: `ls | pyp 'x[:3]'` acts like cut, `cat file | pyp 'sum(map(int, lines))'` acts like awk, and `cat data.json | pyp 'json.load(stdin)[0]'` acts like jq. You can also use `--explain` to see the generated Python script before running it, chain multiple pyp invocations, or configure a custom config file (via PYP_CONFIG_PATH) to predefine functions and imports for your own use cases.

Use it for

• Extract or transform text line-by-line: `ls | pyp 'x.upper()'` or `cat file | pyp 'x.split()[2]'`
• Aggregate or filter input: `cat data | pyp 'sum(map(int, lines))'` or `cat words | pyp 'x if "python" in x else None'`
• Process structured data: `curl api | pyp 'json.load(stdin)[0]["key"]'` or `cat file.csv | pyp 'len(lines)'`
• Add line numbers or indices: `cat file | pyp 'f"{idx+1}: {x}"'`
• Understand generated code before execution: `pyp --explain 'complex_expression'` to inspect the AST transformation

Worth the install?

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Install

pypyp on PyPI

Before you install

Low friction: pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency (astunparse). Maintenance is aging—last release was 595 days ago—but the repository remains active and unarchived with a modest user base (1528 stars).

Requires Python 3.8 or above; pyp is primarily a shell command-line tool, not a library for direct Python import.

License in practice

MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and redistribute pypyp with minimal restrictions, making it safe for both personal and commercial projects.

Quickstart

pip install pypyp

# In shell:
echo -e "hello\nworld" | pyp 'x.upper()'

# In Python (less common):
import subprocess
result = subprocess.run(['pyp', 'x.upper()'], input=b'hello\n', capture_output=True)
print(result.stdout.decode())

Package facts

Evidence: pypyp-1.3.0-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

More Software Development packages

See also bash · setproctitle · plumbum · piper · subprocess.run · pipe · subprocrunner · ptyprocess · pprintpp · runs