pytimeparse2
Time expression parser.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. pytimeparse2 solves a specific, well-defined problem with zero dependencies, permissive licensing, and no security issues. It is stable and dormant rather than actively maintained, but that is appropriate for a mature parsing utility. Install it if you need to accept time expressions from users or configuration; skip it if you only work with numeric seconds or strict time formats.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies.
- Maintenance is dormant (last commit 2023-09-29, 1191 days ago), but the package is marked Production/Stable and carries no known vulnerabilities.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) — you may use, modify, and distribute freely with minimal restrictions; include the license text.
last release 2023-05-11 (1191 days) · last repo commit 2023-09-29 · 19 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 3,452,027 downloads/mo, #2,618 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pytimeparse2
from pytimeparse2 import parse
result = parse('2h32m')
print(result) # seconds as integer or float- Whether dateutil is automatically installed or optional; the description mentions conditional relativedelta support but does not clarify the dependency status.
- Performance characteristics and parsing speed for large batches of expressions.
- Exact behavior and edge cases for month/year calculations (the description notes assumptions but does not detail all corner cases).
What it is and what it does
pytimeparse2 is a lightweight parser that converts time expressions written in natural language into numeric seconds or Python timedelta objects. It handles a wide variety of formats: shorthand notation (32m, 2h32m, 3d2h32m), colon-separated time (4:13:02), English prose (5 hours, 34 minutes, 56 seconds), and uptime-style output (2 days, 4:13:02). The library also supports months and years using fixed assumptions (30 days per month, 365 days per year).
The package has no runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel, making it simple to add to any project. It is marked Production/Stable and supports Python 3.6 through 3.11. Maintenance is dormant (last update in 2023), but the codebase carries no known vulnerabilities and the API is straightforward: call parse() with a time string and optionally request a timedelta object instead of raw seconds.
Use it for
- Parse user-supplied timeout or delay values in configuration files or CLI arguments.
- Convert uptime or system log timestamps into standardized seconds for calculations.
- Accept human-friendly duration input in web forms or APIs and normalize to timedelta.
- Build retry logic or rate-limiting that reads duration strings from environment variables.
- Parse scheduling expressions that use natural time notation.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
pytimeparse2 solves a specific, well-defined problem with zero dependencies, permissive licensing, and no security issues. It is stable and dormant rather than actively maintained, but that is appropriate for a mature parsing utility. Install it if you need to accept time expressions from users or configuration; skip it if you only work with numeric seconds or strict time formats.
Install
pytimeparse2 on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is dormant (last commit 2023-09-29, 1191 days ago), but the package is marked Production/Stable and carries no known vulnerabilities.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) — you may use, modify, and distribute freely with minimal restrictions; include the license text.
Quickstart
pip install pytimeparse2
from pytimeparse2 import parse
result = parse('2h32m')
print(result) # seconds as integer or floatVerify before relying
- Whether dateutil is automatically installed or optional; the description mentions conditional relativedelta support but does not clarify the dependency status.
- Performance characteristics and parsing speed for large batches of expressions.
- Exact behavior and edge cases for month/year calculations (the description notes assumptions but does not detail all corner cases).
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.6 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 1,191 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 3,452,027 / month, #2,618 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 :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonTopic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: Text ProcessingTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: pytimeparse2-1.7.1-py3-none-any.whl
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See also pytimeparse · delta · humanreadable · ago · durationpy · timeago · metomi-isodatetime · isodate · isoduration · human-readable