Entrypoints

0.4 verified Tue May 12 auth: no python install: verified quickstart: stale maintenance

The `entrypoints` library facilitates the discovery and loading of entry points advertised by installed Python packages. It offers a lightweight and faster alternative to `pkg_resources` for this specific functionality, avoiding the full package scans that can slow down `pkg_resources` at import time. The current version is 0.4. The package is in maintenance-only mode, with new code advised to use the `importlib.metadata` module from the Python standard library for entry point management.

pip install entrypoints

Common errors

error AttributeError: 'EntryPoints' object has no attribute 'get' ↓

cause This error typically occurs when using an older API for accessing entry points (like `get()`) on an `EntryPoints` object, which has changed its interface in `importlib-metadata` versions 5.0 and higher. The `entrypoints` library itself is in maintenance mode and newer Python versions often implicitly use `importlib.metadata`.

fix

Pin your importlib-metadata package to version 4.13.0 or earlier (pip install 'importlib-metadata<5'). Alternatively, if using importlib.metadata directly, adopt the modern select() method to retrieve entry points by group or name, rather than dictionary-like access.

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'your_package_name' (when running a console_script) ↓

cause This usually happens when a console script defined in `pyproject.toml` or `setup.py` (which internally uses entry points) cannot find the module it's supposed to execute. This can be due to incorrect package structure, missing `__init__.py` files, or the package not being properly installed in the environment where the script is run.

fix

Ensure your package has __init__.py files in all its directories to be recognized as a package. Verify the module path specified in your console_scripts entry point (e.g., my_script=my_package.module:function) is correct and that the package is installed in the active Python environment (use pip install -e . for development installs).

error DeprecationWarning: SelectableGroups dict interface is deprecated. Use select(). ↓

cause This warning indicates that code is using a dictionary-like interface on the `EntryPoints` object, which is being phased out in `importlib.metadata` (and thus affects `entrypoints` usage as well). While currently a warning, it will become an `AttributeError` in future versions.

fix

Refactor your code to use the select() method on the EntryPoints object to filter by group or name. For example, instead of entry_points()['my_group'], use entry_points(group='my_group') or entry_points().select(group='my_group').

Warnings

breaking The `entrypoints` package is in maintenance-only mode. New code should use `importlib.metadata` (part of the Python standard library since 3.8, non-provisional since 3.10) for discovering and loading entry points. For Python versions older than 3.8, consider using the `importlib_metadata` backport. ↓

fix Migrate to `importlib.metadata` for new implementations: `from importlib.metadata import entry_points` (or `from importlib_metadata import entry_points` for older Python).

gotcha When multiple versions of the same distribution are present in different directories on `sys.path`, `entrypoints` follows a 'first one wins' rule. This typically aligns with Python's import logic, but can lead to unexpected behavior if specific versions are expected. ↓

fix Ensure a clean and controlled Python environment, ideally using virtual environments, where only the desired version of a package is available. Rely on `pip` to manage package installations to avoid multiple `.dist-info` or `.egg-info` directories for the same package.

gotcha `entrypoints` relies on `pip` (or similar tools) to ensure only one `.dist-info` or `.egg-info` directory exists for each installed package. If this assumption is violated, there's no reliable way to pick the correct metadata, which can lead to incorrect entry point resolution. ↓

fix Always use standard package managers like `pip` for installation. Avoid manual manipulation of `site-packages` or `dist-info`/`egg-info` directories. If issues arise, a clean reinstallation in a fresh virtual environment is recommended.

Install compatibility verified last tested: 2026-05-12

python os / libc status wheel install import disk

3.10 alpine (musl) wheel - 0.03s 17.8M

3.10 alpine (musl) - - 0.03s 17.8M

3.10 slim (glibc) wheel 1.5s 0.02s 18M

3.10 slim (glibc) - - 0.02s 18M

3.11 alpine (musl) wheel - 0.04s 19.6M

3.11 alpine (musl) - - 0.05s 19.6M

3.11 slim (glibc) wheel 1.6s 0.04s 20M

3.11 slim (glibc) - - 0.04s 20M

3.12 alpine (musl) wheel - 0.04s 11.5M

3.12 alpine (musl) - - 0.04s 11.5M

3.12 slim (glibc) wheel 1.4s 0.04s 12M

3.12 slim (glibc) - - 0.04s 12M

3.13 alpine (musl) wheel - 0.03s 11.2M

3.13 alpine (musl) - - 0.03s 11.1M

3.13 slim (glibc) wheel 1.5s 0.03s 12M

3.13 slim (glibc) - - 0.03s 12M

3.9 alpine (musl) wheel - 0.02s 17.3M

3.9 alpine (musl) - - 0.03s 17.3M

3.9 slim (glibc) wheel 1.8s 0.02s 18M

3.9 slim (glibc) - - 0.02s 18M

Imports

get_group_all
```
from entrypoints import get_group_all
```
get_group_named
```
from entrypoints import get_group_named
```
EntryPoint
```
from entrypoints import EntryPoint
```

Quickstart stale last tested: 2026-04-24

This quickstart demonstrates how to find and load entry points, specifically 'console_scripts'. It iterates through found entry points, prints their details, and attempts to load the associated Python object.

from entrypoints import get_group_all

# Example: Find all 'console_scripts' entry points
console_scripts = get_group_all('console_scripts')

print(f"Found {len(console_scripts)} console scripts:")
for ep in console_scripts:
    print(f"  - {ep.name}: {ep.module}.{ep.attr}")
    try:
        # Load the entry point (e.g., a function)
        loaded_object = ep.load()
        # You can then call the loaded_object if it's a function
        # print(f"    Loaded object: {loaded_object}")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"    Could not load {ep.name}: {e}")