---
id: textx
version: "4.4.0"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# textX — Meta-language for DSL implementation inspired by Xtext

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 299.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

textX is a Python framework for implementing Domain-Specific Languages by writing a grammar definition. From that grammar, it automatically generates a parser and meta-model (abstract syntax tree) that can parse and instantiate models conforming to your language. It uses a PEG parser (via Arpeggio) with unlimited lookahead and no grammar ambiguities, following the design principles of Xtext but implemented entirely in Python.

You define your DSL syntax as a textX grammar, optionally provide custom Python classes for specific rules, and then use the generated meta-model to parse text into Python object graphs. This is useful when you need to build support for a new textual language, file format, or configuration syntax without writing a parser from scratch.

Use it for:

- Build a custom configuration file format with validation and programmatic access to parsed settings
- Create a domain-specific language for modeling (e.g., state machines, workflows, or diagrams) and interpret or transform the models
- Parse and process existing textual file formats or languages where you want programmatic control over the abstract syntax
- Implement a code generation tool that reads a textual specification and produces output in another language
- Define a query or expression language for a specialized application domain

## Worth the install?

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

textX is a meta-language for building Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) in Python by defining a grammar that automatically generates a parser and meta-model for your language.

Yes. textX is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, low install friction, and is well-suited for anyone building a textual DSL in Python. The framework is production-stable (Development Status 5), has been in development since 2014, and is appropriate for research, commercial, and open-source use under the MIT license.

## Install

pip install textx
uv add textx
poetry add textx

## Installing textX

Before you install: Low install friction with only two runtime dependencies (Arpeggio and importlib-metadata). The package is actively maintained with a recent release and no known vulnerabilities.

License in practice: MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and proprietary projects.

Quickstart:

from textx import metamodel_from_str

grammar = """Model: items*=Item; Item: 'item' name=ID;"""
mm = metamodel_from_str(grammar)
model = mm.model_from_str("item foo item bar")

Requires Python 3.8 or later; Arpeggio must be installed as a runtime dependency.

Verify before relying:

- Whether textX's PEG parser approach handles all grammar patterns needed for your specific DSL use case
- Performance characteristics when parsing large or deeply nested models

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 299.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

DSL parser generator, domain-specific language framework, grammar-based parser python, meta-language implementation, textual language parser, xtext alternative python, PEG parser DSL builder, dsl-framework, parser-generator, language-implementation

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