{"id":2182,"library":"pastel","title":"Pastel","description":"Pastel is a simple Python library (current version 0.2.1) designed to bring colors to your terminal output. It provides an easy way to colorize strings using a simple tag-based syntax and comes with predefined styles like 'info' (green), 'comment' (yellow), 'question' (black on cyan), and 'error' (white on red). The library's last release was in September 2020, indicating a low release cadence and maintenance-focused status.","status":"maintenance","version":"0.2.1","language":"en","source_language":"en","source_url":"https://github.com/sdispater/pastel","tags":["terminal","colors","cli","formatting","console"],"install":[{"cmd":"pip install pastel","lang":"bash","label":"Install with pip"}],"dependencies":[],"imports":[{"note":"The primary functionality is accessed via the `colorize` function directly from the `pastel` module.","symbol":"colorize","correct":"import pastel\n\ncolored_string = pastel.colorize('<info>This is an informational message.</info>')"}],"quickstart":{"code":"import pastel\n\n# Using a predefined style\nprint(pastel.colorize('<info>Information</info>'))\n\n# Using custom foreground color and options\nprint(pastel.colorize('<fg=red;options=bold>This is bold red text</>'))\n\n# Using custom background color\nprint(pastel.colorize('<bg=blue>Blue background</bg>'))\n\n# Disabling colors programmatically\npastel.with_colors(False)\nprint(pastel.colorize('<error>This will now be uncolored</error>'))\npastel.with_colors(True) # Re-enable for subsequent calls","lang":"python","description":"This quickstart demonstrates how to import the `pastel` library, apply predefined and custom styles to strings, and how to programmatically enable or disable color output."},"warnings":[{"fix":"For new projects, consider alternative, more actively maintained terminal coloring libraries. For existing projects, be aware of potential unaddressed issues or lack of compatibility with future Python versions.","message":"The library has not seen a new release or significant updates since September 2020. This indicates limited ongoing development, bug fixes, or security patches, which might make it unsuitable for projects requiring active maintenance or modern Python features.","severity":"deprecated","affected_versions":"<=0.2.1"},{"fix":"Ensure your project runs on Python 3.5+ (which is also supported by Pastel) to align with current Python development standards.","message":"While Pastel supports Python 2.7+, Python 2 has reached its End-of-Life and is no longer supported by the Python community. Using Python 2.7 is strongly discouraged for security and compatibility reasons.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"All versions"},{"fix":"Verify the correct PyPI package name (`pastel`) and the import statement (`import pastel`) to ensure you are using the intended library. Always check the project's GitHub URL for confirmation if unsure.","message":"Be careful not to confuse `sdispater/pastel` (this library) with other Python libraries that might use 'pastel' in their name or provide similar functionality, such as `catppuccin` (a soothing pastel theme library) or `sharkdp/pastel` (a Rust-based CLI tool with Python bindings that focuses on color generation and manipulation). These are distinct projects with different APIs and functionalities.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"All versions"}],"env_vars":null,"last_verified":"2026-04-09T00:00:00.000Z","next_check":"2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z"}