---
id: targ
version: "0.7.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# targ — Build a Python CLI for your app, just using type hints and docstrings.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 690.2K/mo

## What it is and what it does

targ is a CLI framework that builds command-line interfaces directly from Python function signatures and docstrings. You register type-annotated functions with a CLI object, and targ automatically generates argument parsing, help text, and command dispatch—no special syntax or configuration files needed. The package extracts parameter documentation from docstrings and uses type hints to determine argument types and validation.

It's designed for developers who want to expose Python functions as CLI tools without learning argparse or click's decorator syntax. The framework depends on colorama for terminal output formatting and docstring-parser to extract parameter descriptions from docstrings. It supports Python 3.10 through 3.14 and has been actively maintained since its 2020 release.

Use it for:

- Quickly expose internal Python functions as command-line tools for scripting or automation without writing CLI boilerplate.
- Build simple admin or utility CLIs where function signatures naturally map to command arguments.
- Generate self-documenting CLI tools where help text is automatically derived from existing docstrings.
- Prototype CLI applications during development when you want minimal overhead before committing to a larger framework.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Generates a command-line interface from type-annotated Python functions and their docstrings, with no additional configuration required.

Yes. targ is a lightweight, actively maintained tool that solves a real problem—turning functions into CLIs with zero special syntax. Low install friction, permissive license, no known vulnerabilities, and recent activity make it a safe choice for projects that need simple CLI generation. Best suited for straightforward use cases; verify whether it handles your specific type complexity before adopting for complex argument scenarios.

## Install

pip install targ
uv add targ
poetry add targ

## Installing targ

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with only two lightweight dependencies (colorama for terminal colors and docstring-parser for documentation extraction). Actively maintained with a recent release 26 days ago.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install targ

from targ import CLI

def add(a: int, b: int):
    """Add two numbers."""
    print(a + b)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    cli = CLI()
    cli.register(add)
    cli.run()

Requires Python 3.10 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package handles complex type hints (unions, generics, optional types) beyond basic int/str/bool.
- Support for subcommands, command groups, or nested CLI hierarchies.
- Whether environment variables or configuration files can be integrated with the CLI.
- Performance characteristics when registering many functions or handling large argument sets.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 690.2K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

cli from type hints, automatic command line interface, docstring to cli, python function to cli, type annotation cli builder, cli generator python, argparse alternative, cli-generation, type-hints, docstring-driven

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/targ) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/targ/)