python-cq

python-cq is an async-first Python library for organizing code around CQRS. It separates reads (queries), writes (commands), and notifications (events) into dedicated message buses, and lets you plug in any dependency injection framework behind a small protocol.

What is CQRS?

CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation) splits read operations from write operations. Each operation has a single, well-defined responsibility, which:

clarifies intent: a CreateUserCommand does one thing, and its name says so;
keeps handlers small: one message, one handler, easy to test in isolation;
makes side effects explicit: events fan out to subscribers without coupling the producer to them.

CQRS is often discussed alongside distributed systems and Event Sourcing, but the pattern is just as useful in a local or monolithic application. The boundaries it draws are valuable on their own.

Three message types

Type	Intent	Handlers	Returns
`Command`	Change the state of the system	Exactly one	The handler's return value
`Query`	Read state without side effects	Exactly one	The handler's return value
`Event`	Notify that something has happened	Zero, one, or many	Nothing

A Command is allowed to return a value (for convenience, typically an id or a result object), but that does not mean it should be used as a query. Keep intent clear.

Installation

Requires Python 3.12 or higher.

With the default DI backend (python-injection, recommended):

pip install "python-cq[injection]"

Without dependency injection (you will need to implement a DIAdapter):

pip install python-cq

Quickstart

import asyncio
from cq import CommandBus, command_handler
from dataclasses import dataclass
from injection import inject


@dataclass
class CreateUserCommand:
    name: str
    email: str


@command_handler
class CreateUserHandler:
    async def handle(self, command: CreateUserCommand) -> int:
        # ... persist the user, return its id
        return 42


@inject
async def main(bus: CommandBus[int]) -> None:
    command = CreateUserCommand(name="Ada", email="ada@example.com")
    user_id = await bus.dispatch(command)
    print(f"Created user {user_id}")


asyncio.run(main())

The decorator registers the handler against the type of its first handle parameter. The bus is resolved by the DI container and dispatched to that handler.

Prerequisites

Familiarity with the following helps you get the most out of python-cq:

CQRS, in particular the distinction between Commands, Queries, and Events.
Domain Driven Design (DDD), particularly aggregates and bounded contexts, which complement CQRS well.

Release files for python-cq 0.24.0

For a detailed explanation of source distributions (sdists) and built distributions (wheels), please see the package formats documentation.

Source distribution (sdist)

Source distribution for python-cq 0.24.0
File	Size	Uploaded
python_cq-0.24.0.tar.gz	16.1 kB	Aug 30, 2026	Details

Built distribution (wheel)

Table of built distributions (wheels) for python-cq 0.24.0
File	Interpreter	ABI	Platform	Reset
python_cq-0.24.0-py3-none-any.whl 22.6 kB Aug 30, 2026	Python 3	none	any	Details

Total release size: 38.8 kB

Release files / python_cq-0.24.0.tar.gz

Download URL	python_cq-0.24.0.tar.gz
Size	16.1 kB
Tags	Source
SHA-256 checksum How to use checksums	`176f89c2401816247b8d9a88313ba3cfe57f40bfbefba5f80cb263fdee269f2f`
BLAKE2b-256 checksum How to use checksums	`1b5027b529c28eaec6f52084d97250e39d5ba98a389bca8274550d2e0d7ef58a`
Upload date	Aug 30, 2026
Uploaded using Trusted Publishing? What is trusted publishing?	No
Uploaded via	`uv/0.12.7 {"installer":{"name":"uv","version":"0.12.7","subcommand":["publish"]},"python":null,"implementation":{"name":null,"version":null},"distro":{"name":"Ubuntu","version":"24.04","id":"noble","libc":null},"system":{"name":null,"release":null},"cpu":null,"openssl_version":null,"setuptools_version":null,"rustc_version":null,"ci":true}`

Release files / python_cq-0.24.0-py3-none-any.whl

Download URL	python_cq-0.24.0-py3-none-any.whl
Size	22.6 kB
Tags	Python 3
SHA-256 checksum How to use checksums	`d5abf53f3546549f419b5ce20eee333710c960341044ea6fadaf007e5b1ca53b`
BLAKE2b-256 checksum How to use checksums	`f900d94f2853bc9c5c473080ab78d9a36c74685680a9659f43ce9781a997d012`
Upload date	Aug 30, 2026
Uploaded using Trusted Publishing? What is trusted publishing?	No
Uploaded via	`uv/0.12.7 {"installer":{"name":"uv","version":"0.12.7","subcommand":["publish"]},"python":null,"implementation":{"name":null,"version":null},"distro":{"name":"Ubuntu","version":"24.04","id":"noble","libc":null},"system":{"name":null,"release":null},"cpu":null,"openssl_version":null,"setuptools_version":null,"rustc_version":null,"ci":true}`