Install isort with Homebrew, apt, Nix

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• isort
• isort-identify-imports

Project history

The PyCQA/isort repository was created in 2013, and PyPI metadata shows the 1.0.0 source distribution uploaded on 2013-12-10. Creator Timothy Crosley later described isort 5 as the refactoring of a ten-year-old project, placing isort among the early Python formatting tools that predated the Black-era formatter consolidation.

The project moved into the PyCQA ecosystem and grew from simple import ordering into a configurable formatter with profiles, editor integrations, pre-commit use, and documented upgrade guides. Its 5.0.0 upgrade guide calls that release the first major release in five years, while the changelog records Python 2 maintenance ending in the 4.3.x line and later compatibility work for newer Python versions.

Adoption history

isort became common in Python projects because import order is easy to automate and painful to review by hand. It is packaged by Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and PyPI, and the project advertises command-line, library, and editor/plugin use.

Its adoption is tied to the broader Python code-quality stack. Documentation and changelog entries repeatedly mention Black compatibility, built-in profiles, pyproject.toml support, pre-commit usage, and editor integration, making it a companion tool for formatters and linters rather than a standalone style checker.

How it is used

Users run `isort` over files or projects to rewrite import blocks, or use it through pre-commit hooks, editor integrations, and CI checks. Official configuration documentation lists `.isort.cfg`, `pyproject.toml`, `setup.cfg`, `tox.ini`, and `.editorconfig` as project configuration surfaces.

The tool can be used conservatively to check import order or actively to rewrite files, with profiles and options controlling section names, known first-party modules, line length, Black compatibility, and skip rules.

Why package nerds care

isort matters to package nerds because it shows how a small style tool becomes infrastructure: it appears in release tooling, pre-commit configs, editor extensions, CI images, and distribution packages. A version bump can affect thousands of downstream style checks even when runtime code is untouched.

It is also a useful marker for Python packaging eras: setup.cfg-era configuration, pyproject.toml adoption, Python 2 support removal, Black compatibility, and later trusted-publishing/release-infrastructure changes all show up in its history.

Timeline

• 2013: PyCQA/isort repository created and isort 1.0.0 uploaded to PyPI.
• 2019: 4.3.5 documented as the final Python 2.7 maintenance release.
• 2020: 5.0.0 upgrade guide describes the first major release in five years.
• 2021: 5.10.0 changelog records Python 3.10 support and tomli-based pyproject loading.
• 2026: 8.0.0 and 8.0.1 releases continue Python-version and formatter-maintenance work.

Related projects

• isort is commonly used alongside Black, Ruff, Flake8, pre-commit, editor organize-imports integrations, PyCQA tools, and Python packaging configuration files such as pyproject.toml and setup.cfg.

Sources

• PyPI and GitHub metadata provide the 2013 public packaging/repository timeline.
• The changelog and upgrade guide document major Python-version, Black-compatibility, and release-line transitions.
• The official README and docs describe purpose, CLI/library/editor use, and configuration files.