tptpy

A terminal UI for interactively testing TextFSM and TTP templates against network device output — with live parsed results and auto-generated Python snippets you can drop straight into your automation.

What this is for and why

Writing TextFSM and TTP templates is an iterative process: tweak the template, run it, check the output, repeat. Most workflows involve bouncing between a text editor, a Python REPL, and maybe a browser-based tool that doesn't have your files.

tptpy puts everything in one screen:

• Source text (left top) — paste or load device output from the file tree
• Template (right top) — your TextFSM or TTP template
• Parsed result (left bottom) — JSON or table view, updated on each parse
• Python snippet (right bottom) — a self-contained script embedding your source + template, ready to copy

The directory tree auto-routes files: .textfsm, .template, .ttp, and .tpl extensions load into the template pane; everything else loads into the source pane.

Installation

From PyPI

pip install tptpy

From Source

git clone https://github.com/scottpeterman/tptpy.git
cd tptpy
pip install .

Development

git clone https://github.com/scottpeterman/tptpy.git
cd tptpy
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Usage

# Launch in current directory
tptpy

# Launch rooted at a specific project
tptpy ~/templates/bgp

# Or run as a module
python -m tptpy ~/templates/bgp

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
Ctrl+P	Run parse
Ctrl+S	Save source pane (directory picker)
Ctrl+T	Save template pane (directory picker)
Ctrl+R	Focus the root path input
F2	Rename selected file/folder
Delete	Delete selected file/folder
Ctrl+Q	Quit

Supported Parsers

Parser	Template Style	Best For
TextFSM	Value declarations + regex state machine	Structured CLI output (show commands)
TTP	Template with {{ variable }} placeholders	Output that closely mirrors the template shape

Features

• Four-pane layout — source, template, results, and snippet visible simultaneously
• File tree with smart routing — template extensions auto-load to the template pane
• File management — create, rename, and delete files and folders directly from the sidebar
• Save with directory picker — save source or template content to any location in your project tree
• JSON and table views — toggle between structured JSON and a tabular DataTable
• Actionable error messages — parse failures include line numbers, context, and fix hints
• Auto-generated snippets — each successful parse produces a standalone Python script
• Filtered directory tree — shows only text and template files (.txt, .log, .cfg, .textfsm, .ttp, .yaml, .json, etc.)

Quick Example

1. Launch tptpy pointed at a directory containing your show command output and templates
2. Click a .txt or .log file — it loads into Source Text
3. Click a .textfsm file — it loads into Template
4. Hit Ctrl+P or click ▶ Parse
5. Review results in JSON or Table view; grab the Python snippet for your project
6. Hit Ctrl+S to save source or Ctrl+T to save your template — pick the directory and filename

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• Textual — TUI framework
• TextFSM — Google's template-based state machine parser
• TTP — Template Text Parser

Project Structure

tptpy/
├── pyproject.toml
├── README.md
├── screenshots/
│   └── tui1.png
└── tptpy/
    ├── __init__.py
    └── __main__.py

License

MIT

Author

Scott Peterman — Principal Infrastructure Engineer, network automation toolsmith. Part of a broader toolkit for practical network engineering: github.com/scottpeterman