rison
Rison encoder/decoder
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Rison solves a real problem—passing nested data through URIs compactly and readably—that JSON handles poorly. The package is lightweight, actively maintained, has no dependencies, supports current Python versions, carries no known vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive license. Install it if you need to encode complex structures into query strings or URLs.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies.
- Active maintenance with recent releases; repository shows steady activity.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects.
last release 2026-04-26 (110 days) · last repo commit 2026-05-02 · 24 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 431,377 downloads/mo, #6,716 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install rison
import rison
rison.dumps({'foo': 'bar'}) # returns '(foo:bar)'
rison.loads('(foo:bar)') # returns {'foo': 'bar'}- Performance characteristics compared to JSON encoding for large nested structures.
- Compatibility with existing Rison implementations in other languages beyond basic round-trip encoding.
What it is and what it does
Rison is a data serialization format designed specifically for embedding nested structures in URIs and query strings. This Python package provides encode and decode functions that convert between Python dictionaries/lists and Rison's compact syntax, which uses parentheses and exclamation marks instead of JSON's braces and brackets. The format avoids most URI-encoding overhead by using only URI-safe characters for its syntax.
The package supports three output formats: full Rison (with outer delimiters), O-RISON (omitting outer parentheses for objects), and A-RISON (omitting outer array markers). It has no runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel. An optional Pygments extra registers lexers for syntax highlighting of Rison code in three variants.
Use it for
- Compress complex filter or state parameters in HTTP GET requests to stay within URI length limits.
- Store application state in browser URLs while keeping them human-readable and cacheable.
- Pass nested configuration or query structures through command-line tools without shell escaping overhead.
- Encode form data with nested dictionaries and lists in a more compact format than form-encoded alternatives.
- Generate shareable links with complex parameters that remain legible when displayed or emailed.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Rison solves a real problem—passing nested data through URIs compactly and readably—that JSON handles poorly. The package is lightweight, actively maintained, has no dependencies, supports current Python versions, carries no known vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive license. Install it if you need to encode complex structures into query strings or URLs.
Install
rison on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Active maintenance with recent releases; repository shows steady activity.
Requires Python 3.10 or later.
License in practice
MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects.
Quickstart
pip install rison
import rison
rison.dumps({'foo': 'bar'}) # returns '(foo:bar)'
rison.loads('(foo:bar)') # returns {'foo': 'bar'}Verify before relying
- Performance characteristics compared to JSON encoding for large nested structures.
- Compatibility with existing Rison implementations in other languages beyond basic round-trip encoding.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 110 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 431,377 / month, #6,716 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Programming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy |
Evidence: rison-2.0.1-py3-none-any.whl
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See also nestedtext · prison · py-ubjson · python-datauri · curies · prefixcommons · yarl · cbor · canonicaljson · python-toon