Blessed

1.38.0 · active · verified Mon Apr 06

Blessed is an easy, practical Python library for making terminal applications, offering an elegant interface to handle colors, keyboard input, and screen positioning. It is currently at version 1.38.0 and maintains an active development and release cadence, with frequent updates improving compatibility and adding features.

Warnings

breaking Python 3.7 and earlier versions are no longer supported since Blessed version 1.28. Attempting to use Blessed 1.28+ with Python 3.7 or older will result in an ImportError.
Fix: Upgrade your Python environment to 3.8 or newer. For projects requiring older Python versions, use Blessed < 1.28.
deprecated The `Terminal.move()` method is deprecated in favor of `Terminal.move_xy(x, y)`. Also, compoundable attributes like `superscript`, `subscript`, `shadow`, and `dim` with colors (e.g., `term.blue_subscript('a')`) are deprecated as they are rarely supported by terminals.
Fix: Use `term.move_xy(x, y)` for explicit cursor positioning. For text styles like subscript/superscript, consider using Unicode characters or 256/24-bit color codes directly if supported by the terminal, rather than relying on deprecated compound attributes.
gotcha The `Terminal.location()` context manager cannot be nested. Entering a new `location` context while another is active may lead to unexpected cursor behavior.
Fix: Ensure that `with term.location(...)` blocks are not nested. Complete one `location` context before entering another.
gotcha Blessed automatically omits terminal styling sequences if output is redirected to a non-terminal (e.g., a file or pipe). This is a feature, but can be a gotcha if styling is expected in piped output.
Fix: If you explicitly require styling even when output is redirected, initialize the `Terminal` with `force_styling=True`, e.g., `term = Terminal(force_styling=True)`.
gotcha Earlier versions of Blessed had less robust Windows support, particularly concerning `async_inkey()`, mouse events, and resize notifications. `async_inkey()` raised `NotImplementedError` on Windows prior to 1.33, and general performance for keyboard input was much slower.
Fix: For optimal Windows compatibility and performance, ensure you are using Blessed version 1.34 or newer. These versions include significant improvements for console responsiveness and feature support on Windows.
gotcha Fixes for Kitty keyboard protocol (correct key identification for CSI, alphanumeric keys, etc.) were applied in versions 1.30 and 1.36. Users of Kitty terminal emulators on older Blessed versions might experience incorrect key detection.
Fix: If using a Kitty terminal and experiencing issues with key input, upgrade Blessed to version 1.36 or higher to benefit from improved protocol detection and key name synthesis.

Install

pip install blessed Install stable version

Imports

Terminal
```
from blessed import Terminal
```
The `Terminal` class is the primary entry point for all Blessed functionality.

Quickstart

This example initializes the terminal, clears the screen, centers a styled message, waits for a single key press using a context manager for `cbreak` mode and a hidden cursor, then prints the pressed key before exiting. The `timeout` for `inkey` uses an environment variable fallback for robustness.

from blessed import Terminal
import os

term = Terminal()
print(term.home + term.clear + term.move_y(term.height // 2))
print(term.black_on_darkkhaki(term.center('press any key to continue.')))

with term.cbreak(), term.hidden_cursor():
    # Use os.environ.get for auth keys in real applications if needed
    inp = term.inkey(timeout=os.environ.get('BLESSED_INKEY_TIMEOUT', 3))

print(term.move_down(2) + 'You pressed ' + term.bold(repr(inp)))
print(term.normal + 'Exiting.')

view raw JSON →