macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install txrlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install txr with Homebrew, apk, Nix
Lisp-like programming language for convenient data munging. Version 302 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add txrAlpine Linux edge package indexes · txr · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#txrnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/tx/txr/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Lisp-like programming language for convenient data munging
Project links
Commands and aliases
- txr
- txrlisp
- txrvm
history
Project history and usage
TXR is Kaz Kylheku's programming language and command-line tool for convenient data munging, combining a whole-document pattern language with TXR Lisp.
Project history
The official homepage says the TXR project started in 2009 and describes it as a pragmatic tool for daily data-munging tasks. Its first identity is the TXR Pattern Language, which matches loosely structured text and binds variables using a template-like syntax; its second identity is TXR Lisp, a full Lisp dialect for data processing and scripting.
Over time TXR grew from a compact extraction language into a large language runtime. The homepage notes a substantial reference manual, an optimizing bytecode compiler, deployable saved executables, low external dependencies, and influences from Common Lisp, Scheme, Awk, shell, Prolog, Ruby, Python, Arc, Clojure, and other languages.
Adoption history
TXR remains niche, but its official homepage lists packaging by GNU Guix, NixOS, Chimera Linux, Alpine Linux, Void Linux, EasyBuild, and T2 SDE. The supplied Homebrew record also shows Homebrew, Alpine, and Nix formulas, though the upstream page warns users not to use the Homebrew package.
The homepage also documents a practical user history through accepted TXR-based answers on Stack Overflow and Unix StackExchange. That is a useful signal for a package-nerd niche: TXR spread as a sharp text-processing answer to hard one-off problems more than as a mainstream application platform.
How it is used
TXR is used from the command line for scraping, extracting, transforming, and reporting on arbitrary text. Users can write compact one-liners, pattern files that act like reverse templates, or larger TXR Lisp programs and scripts.
Why package nerds care
TXR matters in package collections because it sits between awk, sed, Perl, and Lisp: a small executable with a large manual, a distinctive pattern language, and enough runtime to solve messy text problems without pulling in a larger language stack.
Timeline
- 2009: Official homepage says the TXR project started.
- 2025: Official manpage build is dated July 19, 2025.
- 2026: Official homepage advertises TXR 302 installers and downloads.
Related projects
- Awk: explicitly compared with TXR's pattern language on the homepage.
- TXR Lisp: the Lisp dialect bundled with the TXR system.
- Rosetta Code solutions in TXR: linked from the official homepage as examples.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: yellow
generalized runtime or code generation signal.
Risk classifier
yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime
Why
- generalized runtime or code generation signal
Signals
- text:programming language
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
txr | cli | global executable | |
txrlisp | cli | global executable | |
txrvm | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version302
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.nongnu.org/txr/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:txr |
|---|---|
| Version | 302 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/txr |
| Homepage | https://www.nongnu.org/txr/ |
| Repository | https://www.kylheku.com/cgit/txr |
| Upstream docs | https://www.nongnu.org/txr |
| License | BSD-2-Clause |
| Source archive | https://www.kylheku.com/cgit/txr/snapshot/txr-302.tar.bz2 |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf |
| Uses from macOS | libffi, libxcrypt |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | txr |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Nix95%
txr
nix profile install nixpkgs#txr- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Txr
apk95%
txr 302-r2
Programming language for convenient data munging
sudo apk add txr- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: txr
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Txr
apk95%
txr-doc 302-r2
Programming language for convenient data munging (documentation)
sudo apk add txr-doc- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: txr
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Txr
apk95%
txr-vim 302-r2
Vim syntax for txr
sudo apk add txr-vim- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: txr
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Txr
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment