Template Text Parser (TTP)

0.10.1 · active · verified Tue Apr 14

TTP is a Python library designed for fast and flexible parsing of semi-structured text data using templates. It was initially developed for processing CLI output from network devices but is versatile enough for any text with repetitive patterns. TTP offers features such as groups for results hierarchy, dynamic regex parsing, on-the-fly data processing with built-in or custom functions (macros), various output formats, and an input system. The library is actively maintained, with its latest version being 0.10.1.

Warnings

breaking Python 2.7 support has been removed, and the minimum required Python version is now 3.9.
Fix: Ensure your project is running on Python 3.9 or newer. Consider upgrading your Python environment.
breaking The 'input sources' feature, including Nornir and Netmiko sources, was removed in version 0.9.0. This was due to better integration methods with Netmiko and updates to Nornir.
Fix: Migrate any reliance on the removed 'input sources' by directly integrating with Netmiko/Nornir or manually providing data to TTP using its `data` argument.
gotcha When using `lookup` functions where one group's results are used for a lookup in another group, those groups must process separate inputs. TTP combines results on a per-input basis, which can lead to unexpected behavior if lookups cross shared input boundaries.
Fix: Design your templates and input strategy such that groups relying on each other's results for lookups are processing distinct input data sets.
gotcha Output results often come as deeply nested lists, which can be unintuitive for new users. For example, `parser.result()` returns `[[[...]]]`, requiring indexing like `parser.result()[0]` or `parser.result(format='json')[0]` to access the main results.
Fix: Always be mindful of the nested list structure when accessing results. Use `parser.result(format='json')[0]` or `parser.result(format='flat_json')` for a potentially simpler structure, or chain indices as needed to reach the desired data.

Install

pip install ttp Standard Installation
pip install ttp[full] Installation with all optional dependencies

Imports

ttp
```
from ttp import ttp
```

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates parsing network interface configuration. It initializes the `ttp` parser with input data and a template, then parses the data and prints the results in JSON format. The template uses `group` tags to define the output structure and `{{ variable }}` for data extraction, including optional fields using `_start_` and `_end_` tags.

from ttp import ttp
import pprint

data = """
interface Loopback0
 description Router-id-loopback
 ip address 192.168.0.113/24
!
interface Vlan778
 description CPE_Acces_Vlan
 ip address 2002::fd37/124
 ip vrf CPE1
!
"""

template = """
<group>
interface {{ interface }}
 description {{ description }}
 ip address {{ ip }}/{{ mask }}
{{ _start_ -}} ip vrf {{ vrf }}{{ -_end_ }}
</group>
"""

parser = ttp(data=data, template=template)
parser.parse()
results = parser.result(format='json')[0]
pprint.pprint(results)

view raw JSON →