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Getting started

Install

pip install clijson                 # core, no dependencies
pip install "clijson[all]"          # + YAML, pretty tables, ntc-templates fallback, MCP server

uv add clijson                      # add to your project
uvx clijson parse show_bgp.txt      # run the CLI without installing

uv tool install clijson             # or: pipx install clijson

Optional extras: yaml, pretty (rich tables), ntc (ntc-templates engine), genie, netmiko / scrapli (live collection) and mcp (MCP server). Python 3.10 or newer is required.

Parse your first output

import clijson

# Tell it everything...
r = clijson.parse(output, "show ipv4 interface brief", platform="iosxr")

# ...or nothing: a prompt line such as "RP/0/RP0/CPU0:PE1#show ipv4 int br" is recognised
r = clijson.parse(output)

r.data          # structured data (dict / list)
r.to_json()     # JSON string
r.records()     # the most table-like view, as flat rows

Every result also tells you how the answer was produced: r.platform, r.command, r.engine (native, structured, ntc, genie, generic or device-error), r.parser, r.confidence and r.warnings.

Same code for every vendor

Pass normalize=True to get the vendor-neutral model:

jobs = [("pe1-xr.txt", "show bgp summary", "iosxr"),
        ("pe2-mx.txt", "show bgp summary", "junos"),
        ("pe3-ne.txt", "display bgp peer", "vrp")]

for path, cmd, platform in jobs:
    r = clijson.parse(open(path).read(), cmd, platform, normalize=True)
    for peer in r.normalized:
        if not peer["established"]:
            print(f"{path}: {peer['neighbor']} AS{peer['remote_as']} is {peer['state']}")

Pre/post maintenance checks

before = clijson.parse(pre_capture, "show bgp summary", "iosxr", normalize=True)
after = clijson.parse(post_capture, "show bgp summary", "iosxr", normalize=True)
for change in clijson.diff(before, after):
    print(change)
# ~ [neighbor=10.255.0.2].state: 'Established' -> 'Idle'

Whole sessions and live devices

for r in clijson.parse_session(open("maintenance-window.log").read()):
    print(r.metadata.get("hostname"), r.command, r.parser)

from clijson.live import collect                       # needs clijson[scrapli] or [netmiko]
results = collect("10.0.0.1", "junos", ["show version", "show bgp summary"],
                  username="lab", password="lab123", normalize=True)

Next steps