yaql

What it is and what it does

YAQL is a query language embedded in Python that lets you write SQL-like expressions to filter, transform, and analyze data structures. You write queries as strings (e.g., `$.customers.where($.age > 18)`) and evaluate them against Python objects, JSON, or other data; the language includes a standard library of functions for grouping, filtering, and aggregation. It's designed to be extended with custom functions, making it useful when you need a safe, user-facing query interface without building a full DSL.

The package includes a REPL for interactive exploration and can load JSON files directly. It depends on pbr for build metadata and python-dateutil for date handling. The project is aging (last release 309 days ago) but supports modern Python versions through 3.13 and has no known security vulnerabilities.

Use it for:

• Build a user-facing query interface for a web app where users filter records without writing Python code.
• Query and transform JSON data loaded from files or APIs using a familiar SQL-like syntax.
• Implement dynamic filtering and aggregation in configuration or policy engines that need to evaluate expressions safely.
• Prototype data analysis workflows interactively in the YAQL REPL before moving to production code.
• Extend OpenStack tools or other projects that already use YAQL for consistent query semantics.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

YAQL is an embeddable query language for Python that lets you run complex queries against arbitrary objects using a SQL-like syntax with a standard library of query functions.

Yes, if you need a safe, embeddable query language for end-user filtering or data exploration. The low install friction, permissive license, and lack of security issues make it a solid choice. The aging maintenance status is a minor concern—suitable for stable, non-critical use cases; less ideal if you need active development or rapid bug fixes.

Install

yaql on PyPI

pip install yaql

uv add yaql

poetry add yaql

Installing yaql

Before you install

Low friction to install. The package is aging (309 days since last release) but maintains support for current Python versions (3.10–3.13) and depends only on pbr and python-dateutil.

License in practice

Apache-2.0 is permissive; you can use this package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions, provided you include a copy of the license.

Quickstart

pip install yaql

import yaql

engine = yaql.create_engine()
context = yaql.create_context()
expression = engine('$.customers.where($.age > 18)')
result = expression.evaluate(context=context, $=data)

Requires Python 3.10 or later.

Verify before relying

• Whether the REPL and @load directive work as shown in the quickstart without additional setup.
• Current maintenance status and whether the OpenStack project is actively developing YAQL or in maintenance-only mode.
• Performance characteristics and scalability limits for large datasets or deeply nested queries.

Package facts

Evidence: yaql-3.2.0-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

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