---
id: tempita
version: "0.6.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# Tempita — A very small text templating language

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 135.4K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Tempita is a minimal templating engine designed for cases where Python's % formatting or string.Template are insufficient but a full-featured templating system is overkill. It was created to replace Cheetah in Paste Script, avoiding the installation friction of C extensions while providing control flow (if/elif/else, for loops) and template inheritance. The language uses {{...}} delimiters for variable substitution, filters, and directives; templates can inherit from other templates and define reusable blocks.

The package has no runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel. It executes arbitrary Python code within templates, so templates must be trusted. The codebase has been stable since 2007 and is no longer actively developed—it is maintained in a dormant state, suitable for projects that have already adopted it but not recommended for new projects seeking active support.

Use it for:

- Generate HTML or text output from templates in web frameworks or WSGI applications without heavyweight dependencies
- Create configuration files or code generation templates with conditional sections and loops
- Render email templates or reports with variable substitution and simple control flow
- Build reusable template hierarchies where child templates override or extend parent templates

## Worth the install?

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

Tempita is a lightweight templating engine that processes text templates with variable substitution, conditionals, loops, and template inheritance using a simple {{...}} syntax.

Yes, if you are already using Tempita or need a zero-dependency templating solution for a stable, mature codebase. No, if you are starting a new project—consider Jinja2 or another actively maintained alternative instead. The package is reliable but dormant; install only when its specific lightweight design and lack of dependencies outweigh the lack of active maintenance.

## Install

pip install tempita
uv add tempita
poetry add tempita

## Installing Tempita

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. The package is dormant (last release 2024-11-12, no commits since), so expect no active maintenance or bug fixes, though the stable codebase has been in use since 2007.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive; you can use Tempita in commercial and proprietary projects with minimal restrictions, provided you include the license notice.

Quickstart:

import tempita
tmpl = tempita.Template("Hello {{name}}")
result = tmpl.substitute(name='World')
print(result)  # Output: Hello World

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works reliably with modern Python versions (requires_python is unspecified in metadata)
- Current state of the GitHub repository and whether it accepts contributions or pull requests

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 135.4K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

lightweight text templating, simple template language, template substitution engine, minimal templating library, template inheritance, conditional template processing, template-engine, dormant-but-stable

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