Random Name and Slug Generator

4.1.0 · active · verified Thu Apr 09

coolname is a Python library for generating random, human-readable names and slugs. It offers various functionalities, including generating names as sequences of words, creating slugs for use in web applications like Django, and generating names of specific lengths. The current version is 4.1.0, and it maintains an active development and release cadence.

Common errors

```
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'coolname'
```
cause The 'coolname' package is not installed in the Python environment you are currently using or is not accessible on the Python path.

fix Install the library using pip: `pip install coolname`
```
ImportError: cannot import name 'non_existent_function' from 'coolname'
```
cause You are trying to import a function or class that either does not exist within the 'coolname' package or is misspelled, or you are trying to import something that is not directly exposed at the top level of the package.

fix Ensure the function or class name is spelled correctly and that it is indeed part of the 'coolname' library's public API. Common functions are `generate` and `generate_slug`. For example: `from coolname import generate_slug` or `from coolname import generate`.
```
if name[0] == 'R' or 'r':  # Incorrect boolean logic always returns true
```
cause This is a common Python beginner mistake where the boolean `or` operator is misunderstood. The string literal `'r'` is always considered 'truthy' in Python, making the entire condition `True` regardless of `name[0] == 'R'`.

fix Each condition in an `or` statement must be complete and self-contained. The correct way to write this is: `if name[0] == 'R' or name[0] == 'r':` or more Pythonically: `if name[0] in ('R', 'r'):`

Warnings

breaking The `coolname` library requires Python 3.10 or newer. Installing on older Python versions will fail.
Fix: Upgrade your Python environment to 3.10 or later.
gotcha Calling `generate_slug()` without arguments returns a name of random length, with a higher probability for 4-word names. If you require a consistent number of words, always specify the length (e.g., `generate_slug(2)`). Prepositions and articles ('of', 'from', 'the') are not counted towards the specified word length.
Fix: Explicitly pass the desired word count to `generate_slug(count)` for predictable length.
gotcha Customizing word lists or generation rules requires using the `RandomGenerator` class and defining a configuration dictionary. This is more involved than using the simpler `generate()` or `generate_slug()` functions.
Fix: Refer to the GitHub README for examples on configuring `RandomGenerator` with custom dictionaries and rules.

Install

pip install coolname Install latest version

Imports

generate_slug
```
from coolname import generate_slug
```
generate
```
from coolname import generate
```
RandomGenerator
```
from coolname import RandomGenerator
```
Used for advanced customization with custom word lists and rules.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates basic usage of `generate_slug` for creating slugs (with default and specified lengths), `generate` for creating word lists, and an example of advanced customization using `RandomGenerator`.

from coolname import generate_slug, generate, RandomGenerator

# Generate a random slug (default length, often 4 words)
print(f"Random slug: {generate_slug()}")

# Generate a slug with a specific number of words
print(f"2-word slug: {generate_slug(2)}")
print(f"3-word slug: {generate_slug(3)}")

# Generate a name as a list of words
name_words = generate()
print(f"Random name (list): {name_words}")
print(f"Joined name: {' '.join(name_words)}")

# Example of custom generator with custom word lists
custom_generator = RandomGenerator({
    'all': {
        'type': 'cartesian',
        'lists': ['adjectives', 'animals']
    },
    'adjectives': {
        'type': 'words',
        'words': ['quick', 'sleepy', 'bright']
    },
    'animals': {
        'type': 'words',
        'words': ['fox', 'panda', 'owl']
    }
})
print(f"Custom generated slug: {custom_generator.generate_slug()}")

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