sphobjinv
Sphinx objects.inv Inspection/Manipulation Tool
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. sphobjinv solves a real friction point in Sphinx documentation workflows—finding the correct cross-reference syntax is tedious without it. Low install friction, active maintenance, no known vulnerabilities, permissive license, and a clean API make it a low-risk addition. Install it if you write Sphinx documentation or manage documentation builds.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later.
- Low install friction with only three lightweight runtime dependencies (attrs, certifi, jsonschema).
- Active maintenance with a recent release; last commit 2026-03-23 and repository not archived.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; documentation is separately licensed under CC-BY 4.0.
last release 2026-03-23 (144 days) · last repo commit 2026-03-23 · 91 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 160,217 downloads/mo, #10,670 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install sphobjinv
import sphobjinv as soi
inv = soi.Inventory('doc/build/html/objects.inv')
print(inv.project, inv.version)- Whether the fuzzy matching algorithm (referenced in description) is built-in or depends on an optional external package.
- Performance characteristics when working with very large inventory files.
What it is and what it does
sphobjinv reads and manipulates Sphinx objects.inv files—the binary inventories that Sphinx generates to enable cross-referencing between documentation sets. It provides both a command-line tool and a Python API to search for objects by name, inspect their metadata, and export inventories in multiple formats (plain text, JSON, or re-compressed zlib). The primary use case is discovering the exact syntax needed for Sphinx cross-references: given a documentation URL or local inventory file, you can search for a symbol and get back its proper inline directive form (e.g., `:func:`numpy.linspace``), which is often non-obvious from the documentation alone.
The package depends on attrs, certifi, and jsonschema for data modeling, HTTPS support, and schema validation. It supports Python 3.10 through 3.14 and is actively maintained. The tool is particularly useful when writing documentation that cross-references external projects or when you need to programmatically create or modify inventory files for custom documentation workflows.
Use it for
- Discover the correct Sphinx cross-reference syntax for a function or class in an external library's documentation.
- Search a local Sphinx build's objects.inv to find available symbols and their proper reference forms.
- Convert a Sphinx inventory file to plain text or JSON for inspection or modification.
- Programmatically create or edit objects.inv files to enable intersphinx cross-references in custom documentation.
- Determine the intersphinx_mapping URL for a remote documentation set by querying its inventory.
- Automate inventory export and re-compression for documentation build pipelines.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
sphobjinv solves a real friction point in Sphinx documentation workflows—finding the correct cross-reference syntax is tedious without it. Low install friction, active maintenance, no known vulnerabilities, permissive license, and a clean API make it a low-risk addition. Install it if you write Sphinx documentation or manage documentation builds.
Install
sphobjinv on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with only three lightweight runtime dependencies (attrs, certifi, jsonschema). Active maintenance with a recent release; last commit 2026-03-23 and repository not archived.
Requires Python 3.10 or later.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; documentation is separately licensed under CC-BY 4.0.
Quickstart
pip install sphobjinv
import sphobjinv as soi
inv = soi.Inventory('doc/build/html/objects.inv')
print(inv.project, inv.version)Verify before relying
- Whether the fuzzy matching algorithm (referenced in description) is built-in or depends on an optional external package.
- Performance characteristics when working with very large inventory files.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 3 packagesattrscertifijsonschema |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 144 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 160,217 / month, #10,670 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/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleFramework :: SphinxIntended Audience :: DevelopersNatural Language :: EnglishOperating 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 :: 3.14Topic :: DocumentationTopic :: Documentation :: SphinxTopic :: Software DevelopmentTopic :: Software Development :: DocumentationTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: sphobjinv-2.4-py3-none-any.whl
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See also intersphinx-registry · sphinx-hoverxref · sphinxcontrib-django · sphinx-copybutton · sphinx-needs · sphinx-notfound-page · sphinx-panels · sphinxcontrib-serializinghtml · sphinxcontrib-websupport · nbsphinx