Python Water 
Fork of python-fire
I love Fire! But I need some Water.
Python Water is a fork of Google's python-fire with the following additions:
- Auto-casting from type annotations. CLI arguments are automatically cast using Python type hints. Write
def foo(count: int)and Water handles the parsing. SupportsOptional[T],Union, and custom constructors viaregister_type_constructor(). [details]- Type-safe codebase. All source code passes the ty type checker and uses maximized Ruff linting (
select = ["ALL"]).- Async support.
asyncandawaitfunctions are natively supported.- Modernized tooling. Migrated from pylint to Ruff and updated CI workflows.
Migrating from python-fire? See the Migration Guide.
Python Water is a library for automatically generating command line interfaces (CLIs) from absolutely any Python object.
- Python Water is a simple way to create a CLI in Python. [1]
- Python Water is a helpful tool for developing and debugging Python code. [2]
- Python Water helps with exploring existing code or turning other people's code into a CLI. [3]
- Python Water makes transitioning between Bash and Python easier. [4]
- Python Water makes using a Python REPL easier by setting up the REPL with the modules and variables you'll need already imported and created. [5]
Installation
To install Python Water with pip, run: pip install python-water
To install Python Water from source, first clone the repository and then run:
pip install .
Basic Usage
You can call Water on any Python object:
functions, classes, modules, objects, dictionaries, lists, tuples, etc.
They all work!
Here's an example of calling Water on a function.
import water
def hello(name="World"):
return "Hello %s!" % name
if __name__ == '__main__':
water.Water(hello)
Then, from the command line, you can run:
python hello.py # Hello World!
python hello.py --name=David # Hello David!
python hello.py --help # Shows usage information.
Here's an example of calling Water on a class.
import water
class Calculator(object):
"""A simple calculator class."""
def double(self, number):
return 2 * number
if __name__ == '__main__':
water.Water(Calculator)
Then, from the command line, you can run:
python calculator.py double 10 # 20
python calculator.py double --number=15 # 30
To learn how Water behaves on functions, objects, dicts, lists, etc, and to learn about Water's other features, see the Using a Water CLI page.
For additional examples, see The Python Water Guide.
Why is it called Water?
When you call Water, it flows off (executes) your command.
Where can I learn more?
Please see The Python Water Guide.
Reference
| Setup | Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| install | pip install python-water |
Installs water from pypi |
| Creating a CLI | Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| import | import water |
|
| Call | water.Water() |
Turns the current module into a CLI. |
| Call | water.Water(component) |
Turns component into a CLI. |
| Type Casting | Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-cast | def foo(x: int) |
Water casts CLI args to annotated types. |
| Custom types | water.register_type_constructor(T, fn) |
Define how CLI args become type T. |
| Example | python examples/type_casting.py |
Full working example. |
| Using a CLI | Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Help | command --help or command -- --help |
|
| REPL | command -- --interactive |
Enters interactive mode. |
| Separator | command -- --separator=X |
Sets the separator to X. Default is -. |
| Completion | command -- --completion [shell] |
Generates a completion script for the CLI. |
| Trace | command -- --trace |
Gets a Water trace for the command. |
| Verbose | command -- --verbose |
Note that these flags are separated from the Water command by an isolated --.
License
Licensed under the Apache 2.0 License.
Disclaimer
This is not an official Google product.
Release files for python-water 1.0.0
For a detailed explanation of source distributions (sdists) and built distributions (wheels), please see the package formats documentation.
Source distribution (sdist)
| File | Size | Uploaded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| python_water-1.0.0.tar.gz | 109.8 kB | Details |
Built distribution (wheel)
| File | Interpreter | ABI | Platform | Reset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| python_water-1.0.0-py3-none-any.whl | Python 3 | none | any | Details |
Total release size: 193.3 kB
Release files / python_water-1.0.0.tar.gz
| Download URL | python_water-1.0.0.tar.gz |
|---|---|
| Size | 109.8 kB |
| Tags | Source |
|
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| Download URL | python_water-1.0.0-py3-none-any.whl |
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| Size | 83.5 kB |
| Tags | Python 3 |
|
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Uploaded using Trusted Publishing? What is trusted publishing? |
Yes |
| Uploaded via |
twine/6.1.0 CPython/3.13.12
|
Provenance
Provenance describes where a file came from. On PyPI, provenance is shared via attestations, which provide a verifiable record of the build or publishing details. View details, limitations and caveats.
PyPI Publish Attestation
PyPI verified that this artifact, at this checksum, originated from the publisher listed below.
Signed by GitHub Actions, verified by PyPI on Apr 9, 2026.
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