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:mod:`pickletools` --- Tools for pickle developers

.. module:: pickletools
   :synopsis: Contains extensive comments about the pickle protocols and
              pickle-machine opcodes, as well as some useful functions.

Source code: :source:`Lib/pickletools.py`

This module contains various constants relating to the intimate details of the :mod:`pickle` module, some lengthy comments about the implementation, and a few useful functions for analyzing pickled data. The contents of this module are useful for Python core developers who are working on the :mod:`pickle`; ordinary users of the :mod:`pickle` module probably won't find the :mod:`pickletools` module relevant.

Command line usage

.. versionadded:: 3.2

When invoked from the command line, python -m pickletools will disassemble the contents of one or more pickle files. Note that if you want to see the Python object stored in the pickle rather than the details of pickle format, you may want to use -m pickle instead. However, when the pickle file that you want to examine comes from an untrusted source, -m pickletools is a safer option because it does not execute pickle bytecode.

For example, with a tuple (1, 2) pickled in file x.pickle:

$ python -m pickle x.pickle
(1, 2)

$ python -m pickletools x.pickle
    0: \x80 PROTO      3
    2: K    BININT1    1
    4: K    BININT1    2
    6: \x86 TUPLE2
    7: q    BINPUT     0
    9: .    STOP
highest protocol among opcodes = 2

Command line options

.. program:: pickletools


.. cmdoption:: -a, --annotate

   Annotate each line with a short opcode description.


.. cmdoption:: -o, --output=<file>

   Name of a file where the output should be written.


.. cmdoption:: -l, --indentlevel=<num>

   The number of blanks by which to indent a new MARK level.


.. cmdoption:: -m, --memo

   When multiple objects are disassembled, preserve memo between
   disassemblies.


.. cmdoption:: -p, --preamble=<preamble>

   When more than one pickle file are specified, print given preamble
   before each disassembly.

Programmatic Interface

.. function:: dis(pickle, out=None, memo=None, indentlevel=4, annotate=0)

   Outputs a symbolic disassembly of the pickle to the file-like
   object *out*, defaulting to ``sys.stdout``.  *pickle* can be a
   string or a file-like object.  *memo* can be a Python dictionary
   that will be used as the pickle's memo; it can be used to perform
   disassemblies across multiple pickles created by the same
   pickler. Successive levels, indicated by ``MARK`` opcodes in the
   stream, are indented by *indentlevel* spaces.  If a nonzero value
   is given to *annotate*, each opcode in the output is annotated with
   a short description.  The value of *annotate* is used as a hint for
   the column where annotation should start.

  .. versionadded:: 3.2
     The *annotate* argument.


.. function:: genops(pickle)

   Provides an :term:`iterator` over all of the opcodes in a pickle, returning a
   sequence of ``(opcode, arg, pos)`` triples.  *opcode* is an instance of an
   :class:`OpcodeInfo` class; *arg* is the decoded value, as a Python object, of
   the opcode's argument; *pos* is the position at which this opcode is located.
   *pickle* can be a string or a file-like object.


.. function:: optimize(picklestring)

   Returns a new equivalent pickle string after eliminating unused ``PUT``
   opcodes. The optimized pickle is shorter, takes less transmission time,
   requires less storage space, and unpickles more efficiently.