---
id: sphobjinv
version: "2.4"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# sphobjinv — Sphinx objects.inv Inspection/Manipulation Tool

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 160.2K/mo

## 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 above — verify before relying.

Inspect, search, and manipulate Sphinx objects.inv inventory files from the command line or Python API, enabling precise cross-reference discovery and inventory editing.

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

pip install sphobjinv
uv add sphobjinv
poetry add sphobjinv

## Installing sphobjinv

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.

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)

Requires Python 3.10 or later.

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_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 160.2K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

sphinx objects.inv inspection, cross-reference lookup sphinx, inventory file manipulation, sphinx documentation linking, intersphinx reference finder, sphinx-tooling, documentation-automation

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