wadler-lindig
A Wadler–Lindig pretty-printer for Python.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. It is a lightweight, dependency-free tool with active maintenance and no known vulnerabilities. Install it if you need better-formatted object output than pprint in error messages, debug logs, or custom repr implementations. The Alpha status is not a blocker—the algorithm itself is well-established—but be aware the API may change in minor ways before 1.0.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later.
- Low friction: pure Python with zero runtime dependencies, distributed as a wheel.
- Active maintenance with recent commits and no known vulnerabilities.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — Apache License 2.0 (permissive): you can use, modify, and distribute this code freely in commercial and private projects, provided you include a copy of the license and note any changes you make.
last release 2025-06-18 (422 days) · last repo commit 2026-04-20 · 48 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 4,850,104 downloads/mo, #2,214 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install wadler_lindig
import wadler_lindig as wl
obj = {"key": [1, 2, 3], "nested": {"x": "value"}}
wl.pprint(obj, width=30)- Whether the library handles all standard Python types (e.g., sets, frozensets, custom iterables) beyond the documented examples.
- Performance characteristics when formatting very large or deeply nested structures.
- Stability of the API given the 'Alpha' development status (0.1.7 version).
What it is and what it does
Wadler–Lindig is a pretty-printer for Python objects that implements the Wadler–Lindig algorithm, a layout algorithm that breaks lines more intelligently than the built-in pprint module. Instead of pprint's right-aligned continuation style, it produces vertically compact output that respects a target width and indentation level. The library has zero dependencies and is implemented in pure Python.
It is designed for two main use cases: replacing pprint in error messages and debug output where horizontal space matters, and creating custom pretty-printed representations for complex types like nested dataclasses or other tree-like structures. You can customize formatting either by adding a `__pdoc__` method to your class or by passing a `custom` formatter to the pprint call. It also supports ANSI escape codes and provides concise summaries for NumPy arrays and similar types.
Use it for
- Format error messages and debug output that fit within terminal width constraints without excessive line wrapping.
- Create readable reprs for nested dataclasses or custom types by implementing the `__pdoc__` method.
- Display NumPy arrays in concise form (e.g., `f64[2,3](numpy)`) rather than full element dumps.
- Add ANSI escape codes to pretty-printed output for terminal-based debugging and logging.
- Replace pprint in test assertions or logging where output readability and compactness are both important.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
It is a lightweight, dependency-free tool with active maintenance and no known vulnerabilities. Install it if you need better-formatted object output than pprint in error messages, debug logs, or custom repr implementations. The Alpha status is not a blocker—the algorithm itself is well-established—but be aware the API may change in minor ways before 1.0.
Install
wadler-lindig on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python with zero runtime dependencies, distributed as a wheel. Active maintenance with recent commits and no known vulnerabilities.
Requires Python 3.10 or later.
License in practice
Apache License 2.0 (permissive): you can use, modify, and distribute this code freely in commercial and private projects, provided you include a copy of the license and note any changes you make.
Quickstart
pip install wadler_lindig
import wadler_lindig as wl
obj = {"key": [1, 2, 3], "nested": {"x": "value"}}
wl.pprint(obj, width=30)Verify before relying
- Whether the library handles all standard Python types (e.g., sets, frozensets, custom iterables) beyond the documented examples.
- Performance characteristics when formatting very large or deeply nested structures.
- Stability of the API given the 'Alpha' development status (0.1.7 version).
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 422 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 4,850,104 / month, #2,214 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 3 - AlphaLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishProgramming Language :: Python :: 3 |
Evidence: wadler_lindig-0.1.7-py3-none-any.whl
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