---
id: typing
version: "3.10.0.0"
license: PSF
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# typing — Type Hints for Python

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 4.9M/mo

## What it is and what it does

This package backports Python's standard library typing module to older Python versions (2.7 and 3.4) that predate its introduction in Python 3.5. It enables developers to use type annotations and hints—a standard notation for documenting function and variable types—on legacy Python versions, allowing static type checkers, IDEs, and other tools to analyze code for type correctness.

On Python 3.5 and later, installing this package has no effect because the standard library's typing module takes precedence. The package is intended primarily for projects that must support very old Python versions. For modern projects, the stdlib typing module is always available and receives updates with each Python release.

Use it for:

- Adding type hints to a Python 2.7 codebase that cannot yet migrate to Python 3.5+
- Enabling static type checkers on legacy Python 3.4 projects
- Documenting function signatures with type annotations in pre-3.5 codebases
- Supporting older Python versions in a package while using type-checking tooling

## Worth the install?

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

Provides type hints and annotations for Python 2.7 and Python 3.4, backporting the standard library typing module to versions before 3.5.

No, unless you are actively maintaining a Python 2.7 or 3.4 codebase. For any modern Python project (3.5+), the stdlib typing module is built-in and superior. This package is a legacy compatibility shim with no releases since 2021-05-01.

## Install

pip install typing
uv add typing
poetry add typing

## Installing typing

Before you install: Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is active, though the package has not released since 2021-05-01. On Python 3.5+, the stdlib typing module takes precedence and this package has no effect.

License in practice: Licensed under PSF (Python Software Foundation License), a permissive license. No licensing restrictions on use or redistribution.

Quickstart:

pip install typing

import typing

def greet(name: typing.Text) -> typing.Text:
    return 'Hello ' + name

Only works on Python 2.7 and Python 3.4; on Python 3.5+, stdlib typing takes precedence.

Verify before relying:

- Whether this package remains necessary given that Python 2.7 and 3.4 are no longer supported

## Package facts

- License: PSF (permissive)
- Python support: capped_below_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 4.9M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

type hints backport, typing module python 2.7, function annotations, type checking support, python 3.4 typing, static type hints, legacy python typing, backport, legacy-python

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