rlpycairo

library0.4.0pypypiunverified

rlpycairo is a plugin backend renderer for the `reportlab.graphics.renderPM` module, designed to replace the legacy `_renderPM` C extension which experienced issues with complex documents. It extends the ReportLab PDF Toolkit, enabling the creation of rich PDF documents and charts in various bitmap and vector formats. Currently at version 0.4.0, the library is in a 'Pre-Alpha' development status, with periodic updates.

serialization

pip install rlpycairo

package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · RLPYCAIRO

rlpycairo

serializationpythonv0.4.0

Install

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Import

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Disk

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Pass rate

0/ 10

Env Coverage0 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · pip install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.95 runs

build_error

glibc

py 3.10–3.95 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

renderPMBackend

✓ import reportlab.rl_config reportlab.rl_config.renderPMBackend = 'rlPyCairo'

rlpycairo is enabled by configuring ReportLab's rendering backend, rather than direct class/function imports from the rlpycairo package itself.

This quickstart demonstrates how to configure ReportLab to use `rlpycairo` as its rendering backend and then generate a simple PNG image using ReportLab's graphics module. This verifies the `rlpycairo` plugin is active and functional.

from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import A4 from reportlab.lib.units import inch from reportlab.graphics.shapes import Drawing, String from reportlab.graphics import renderPM import reportlab.rl_config import os # Enable rlPyCairo backend reportlab.rl_config.renderPMBackend = 'rlPyCairo' # Create a simple ReportLab drawing d = Drawing(200, 100) d.add(String(50, 50, "Hello, rlPyCairo!", fillColor='red')) output_filename = 'hello_rlpycairo.png' # Render the drawing to a PNG file using the configured backend renderPM.drawToFile(d, output_filename, 'PNG') print(f"Generated '{output_filename}' using rlPyCairo backend.") print(f"File path: {os.path.abspath(output_filename)}")

Debug

Known issues

gotchaInstallation of `pycairo` (a core dependency) often fails if the underlying Cairo graphics library and its development headers are not installed on the system (e.g., via `apt-get`, `brew`). `pip install pycairo` alone is frequently insufficient.

fix

Ensure system-level Cairo development packages are installed (e.g., `sudo apt-get install libcairo2-dev` on Debian/Ubuntu, `brew install cairo` on macOS).

affects: All

gotchaThe `rlPyCairo` backend is noted in its documentation to be inferior to the original `_renderPM` C extension in two specific areas: rendering scaled images and the speed of drawing text.

fix

Be aware of potential performance or quality differences if your application heavily relies on scaled images or complex text rendering. Consider alternative backends or optimizations if these issues arise.

affects: All

gotchaCurrently, `rlPyCairo` does not fully utilize advanced `PyCairo` capabilities such as transparency or patterns, despite Cairo's underlying support for these features.

fix

Do not expect advanced Cairo features like transparency or complex patterns to be automatically supported or exposed through `rlPyCairo` at this time. Use ReportLab's native features or other rendering backends for such requirements.

affects: All

gotchaA `ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'rlPyCairo'` can occur if the package is not correctly installed in the active environment, or if `reportlab.rl_config.renderPMBackend` is not set to `'rlPyCairo'` before rendering operations.

fix

Verify `rlpycairo` is installed (`pip show rlpycairo`). Ensure `reportlab.rl_config.renderPMBackend = 'rlPyCairo'` is executed at an appropriate point in your application startup before any `reportlab.graphics.renderPM` calls.

affects: All

breakingThe package is currently marked with a '2 - Pre-Alpha' development status on PyPI. This implies that its API may not be stable, and breaking changes could occur in minor or patch releases, though none are explicitly documented as of 0.4.0.

fix

Pin the exact version in your `requirements.txt` to mitigate unexpected changes (`rlpycairo==0.4.0`). Monitor project updates closely if upgrading to new pre-1.0.0 versions.

affects: < 1.0.0

Upgrade

Version history

0.4.0latest on PyPI · released Aug 15, 2025

Audit

Dependencies

reportlabrequiredrlpycairo is a plugin backend for the ReportLab PDF Toolkit.

pycairorequiredProvides Python bindings for the Cairo graphics library, which rlpycairo uses for rendering.

freetype-pyrequiredRequired for font handling and rendering.

PillowoptionalNeeded to produce images with this package, especially when rendering to bitmap formats. Can often be PIL instead.

Agent activity

10 hits · last 30 days

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Resources

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/rlpycairo/ ↗