copier

Feat

• exclude: add support for multiple exclude patterns in a single entry (#2804)

Fix

• preserve the original error when cleanup fails (#2824)

Security

• prevent trust bypass via encoded URL traversal for alias and SCP-style URLs

Security

• disallow Jinja {% include %} of symlinks resolving outside template root
• disallow config !include paths outside the template root

Refactor

• updating: delete user-removed files after rendering instead of excluding them

Security

• prevent code execution via Jinja finalizer by disallowing YAML tags
• prevent code execution via Jinja sandbox escape through path and settings objects

Feat

• add --ask flag to force prompting of selected questions (#2705)

Security

• prevent trust bypass via encoded URL traversal

Feat

• cache remote git templates as local mirrors with worktrees (#2720)

Fix

• updating: preserve and update template-managed gitignored files (#2730)

Fix

• report template path for Jinja errors in path segments (#2686)
• fix answers file override/setting to use full path and not only filename
• treat blank boolean strings as false (#2675)
• updating: don't skip gitignored .rej files when converting to inline conflict markers (#2668)

Refactor

• deprecate locating {{ _copier_conf.answers_file }}.jinja file in non-root directory

Security

• prevent trust bypass via path traversal in trusted template URLs

Fix

• enrich invalid choice error message with variable name and valid choices (#2662)
• restore support for copier copy when git is not available

Feat

• add support for enabling StrictUndefined in Jinja environment (#2587)

Fix

• clean up temporary clone directory when internal git clone is interrupted
• avoid double-escaping backslashes in Git paths with PathSpec v1.1.0+
• updating: propagate executable-bit changes even when Git ignores file mode changes

Fix

• vcs: fix Git tag lookup for template SSH URLs without ssh:// scheme

Fix

• vcs: fix Git tag lookup for relative local template paths
• vcs: support git worktrees in is_git_repo_root (#2586)
• migrations: use configurable Jinja delimiters for default migration condition

Refactor

• make YieldExtension self-contained

Security

• require --trust for _external_data paths outside subproject root
• disallow _subdirectory path outside template root

Feat

• cli: add --answers-file flag to check-update command

Fix

• only warn about dirty template when checking out HEAD
• cli: show only supported flags in check-update command help output

Fix

• vcs: make Git version parsing robust to vendor-suffixed patch versions

Feat

• add CLI subcommand check-update to check for new template version (#2463)

Refactor

• cli: call public run_* functions instead of internal Worker.run_* methods

Feat

• add new settings API with minimal surface
• re-export Phase enum at package level

Fix

• updating: apply skip-if-exists patterns as gitignore-style at subproject root in update algorithm
• updating: anchor removed file paths to project root in update algorithm
• updating: normalize user-deleted paths before skip-if-exists pattern matching during updates

Refactor

• typing: use builtin types in public API signatures
• deprecate public settings module and its symbols
• replace **kwargs with explicit parameters in run_{copy,recopy,update} functions

Fix

• updating: include non-question answers when generating fresh copy of new template
• updating: ignore Git hooks on internal checkout before 3-way merging file with conflicts (#2432)
• avoid pattern deprecation warning for pathspec v1.0.0+

Fix

• updating: restore support for preserved symlinks pointing outside subproject (#2427)

Security

• disallow symlink-based includes outside template root
• disallow symlink-following write operations outside destination directory (#2427)

Fix

• updating: avoid circular reference when rendering JSON-serialized _copier_conf variable

Feat

• updating: allow updating a dirty Git repository when the subproject directory is clean (#2369)
• add support for custom question icons (#2381)
• add support for conditionally unsetting a question's default value

Fix

• raise warning instead of error when chmod is not allowed
• fix using default answers from settings for required questions (#2374)

Refactor

• drop support for Python 3.9

Fix

• updating: render templated skip-if-exists patterns before applying patch with excluded paths
• updating: exclude only Git-ignored files when applying patch
• updating: ignore paths added to the _exclude list in new template version when updating

Fix

• deps: remove prompt-toolkit version cap

Fix

• deps: cap prompt-toolkit to <3.0.52

Feat

• add support for nested multi-document includes in copier.yml (#2251)

Fix

• disable default answer validator for secret questions

Security

• disallow render paths outside destination directory
• cast Jinja context path variables to pathlib.PurePath

Feat

• add support for prompting filesystem paths (#2210)

Fix

• updating: disable secret question validator when replaying old copy
• vcs: fix cloning local dirty template repo when core.fsmonitor=true (#2151)

Feat

• add support for providing serialized answers to multiselect choice questions
• updating: add VCS ref sentinel :current: for referring to the current template ref

Fix

• avoid infinite recursion when accessing _copier_conf.answers_file via Jinja context hook
• validate default answers
• correct git stage order on merge conflicts

Refactor

• import from module _tools instead of tools

Feat

• raise new TaskError exception on task errors
• raise InteractiveSessionError when prompting in non-interactive environment

Fix

• settings: use <CONFIG_ROOT>/copier as settings directory on Windows (#2071)
• updating: ignore last answer of when: false questions
• restore access to full rendering context in prompt phase

Refactor

• re-expose API with deprecation warnings on non-public API imports
• rename internal modules with a _ prefix

Feat

• Add _copier_operation variable (#1733)
• context: expose a _copier_phase context variable

Fix

• explicitly specify file encoding for windows (#2007)
• auto-detect encoding when reading external data file
• settings: auto-detect encoding when reading settings file
• cli: auto-detect encoding when reading unicode-encoded file specified with --data-file
• expose only answers in question rendering context
• ignore $file if $file.tmpl exists when subdirectory is used
• decode external data file content explicitly as UTF-8
• decode answers file content explicitly as UTF-8

Refactor

• use common answers file loader

Feat

• external_data: load data from other YAML files
• settings: allow to define some trusted repositories or prefixes
• settings: add user settings support with defaults values (fix #235)
• add dynamic file structures in loop using yield-tag (#1855)
• add support for dynamic choices

Fix

• correctly record missing stages in index for merge conflicts (#1907)
• allow importing from a file that has a conditional name
• updating: don't crash when file is removed from template's .gitignore file (#1886)
• deps: update dependency packaging to v24.2
• re-render answers file path when producing render context
• restore compatibility with Git prior to v2.31 (#1838)
• updating: don't validate computed values
• Don't mark files without conflict markers as unmerged (#1813)

Fix

• restore support for preserve_symlinks: false for directories (#1820)

Fix

• exclude: support negative exclude matching child of excluded parent
• parse new answer when --skip-answered is used
• validate answers to secret questions
• updating: do not recreate deleted paths on update (#1719)
• support Git config without user identity

Refactor

• set default value for keep_trailing_newline more idiomatically
• drop support for Python 3.8

Perf

• updating: avoid creating subproject copy

Fix

• pass --skip-tasks flag to worker (#1688)

Feat

• add simpler migrations configuration syntax (#1510)

Fix

• tasks: do not consider unsafe if they are being skipped
• add context information to answer validation error message (#1609)
• do not overwrite identical files (#1576)
• updating: unset invalid last answers
• render default list items for multi-select choice questions
• updating: yield merge conflict when both template and project add same file

Feat

• tasks: add support for skipping tasks (#1561)
• add support for validating multi-select choice answers

Fix

• ignore empty YAML documents in copier.yml
• preserve choices order in answers to multi-select choice questions
• exclude: apply exclude matcher to rendered path

Refactor

• drop pyyaml-include dependency and reimplement relevant features

Perf

• apply PERF lint rules fixes (#1556)

Fix

• don't fail in systems with windows 1252 encoding (probably)
• skip excluded paths before rendering

Feat

• Conflicts on updates now appear as git merge conflicts, also on VSCode
• choices: support questionary checkbox for multiple choices using multiselect: true.

Fix

• mark package as typed
• Normalize paths obtained from Git commands output
• don't crash when update replaces file with symlink (or vice versa) (#1409)
• keep git-ignored files on update (#1373)
• address deprecation warning in shutil.rmtree(onerror=...) (#1401)

Fix

• don't produce output when imported with $FORCE_COLOR=1 env

Feat

• add -A as an alias for --skip-answered, and support it in recopy too
• add --skip-answered flag to avoid repeating recorded answers

Fix

• recopy: never clone old template (even less if it's just for cleanup)

Feat

• release on FlakeHub.com too
• add support for pre-update and post-update messages (#1288)
• add support for pre-copy and post-copy messages

Fix

• do not immediately fail if git is not available
• provide more clarification in unsafe error message (#1280)
• clean up tmp dir
• don't lie about updated files
• require default value for secret question
• fix answer validation against conditional choices with duplicate values

Refactor

• drop support for Python 3.7 (#1252)

Feat

• add support for computed values via skipped questions (#1220)
• add --trust as a less scary alternative to --UNSAFE (#1179)
• add OS identifier to render context

Fix

• pydantic: add upper dependency bound to fix unlocked installations

Refactor

• request answers imperatively instead of implicitly via impure property

BREAKING CHANGE

• Updates will overwrite existing files always. If you need to select only some files, just use git mergetool or git difftool after updating.
• Flag --overwrite/-w disappeared from copier update. It is now implicit.
• To update via API, overwrite=True is now required.
• The default update conflict mode is now inline instead of rej.
• By default, updates now consider 3 lines of context instead of just 1.
• All CLI calls to Copier must now include the subcommand as the 1st argument. For example, copier must become now copier update; also copier ./tpl ./dst must become copier copy ./tpl ./dst.
• All flags must go after the subcommand now. For example, copier -r HEAD update ./dst must now become copier update -r HEAD ./dst or copier update ./dst -r HEAD.
• Automatic mode removed. Since now subcommands are required, the automatic mode is removed.
• Deprecated copier.copy function is removed. Use copier.run_copy, copier.run_update or copier.run_recopy explicitly as needed.
• default values must be of the same type than the question.

Feat

• disable unsafe features by default and add --UNSAFE switch (#1171)
• basic nixpkgs overlay
• add recopy command and function
• support conditional choices (#1010)
• validate default values (#1075)

Fix

• explain better why an answer casting fails
• cli: display subcommand args meaning
• preserver recursive symlinks
• work around Pydantic bug when parsing choices
• skip validating question and generating its default value when its skip condition is met

Refactor

• overwrite always on updates
• update: default to inline markers and 3 lines of context
• remove unused local overrides to answers

Feat

• customizable update accuracy

Fix

• fix using a branch name as VCS ref
• answer validation for question with complex choices (#1110)

Feat

• include git in flake app
• support preserving symlinks when copying templates (#938)
• allow imports in inline templates (#986)
• properly support update in repo subdirectory (#1069)
• allow templating _answers_file setting (#1027)
• let answers file exist in a subdirectory
• validate answers given via CLI/API
• exclude nothing by default when using subdirectory
• add native OS directory separator variable in _copier_conf.sep to allow generating dynamic directory structures
• nix support

Fix

• include dirty local changes when copying HEAD
• require answer for questions without default value (#958)
• cleanup: don't clean up local template in parent folder
• delete conditionally created file when answer changes (#982)
• properly support diffs over updates with new interactive answers
• ignore Git hooks during project update (#1066)
• properly support diffs over updates with new answers
• skip tasks in pretend mode (#970)
• parse CLI data using question's answer parser
• don't set YAML !include constructor globally (#947)
• cli: use --conflict flag only in copier update subcommand
• ignore template repo tags that aren't valid PEP 440 versions
• --skip option was ignored (#966)
• Remove useless is_dir check
• don't attempt to render a file if its name is empty
• warn users against using shallow clones as template source

Refactor

• tests: remove unknown timeout marker
• deduplicate code
• remove unused method argument
• simplify casting boolean question settings
• remove useless code related to not asking a question
• typing: use Mapping instead of ChainMap type
• move unrelated code out of try-except block
• inline: smarter inline conflict markers algorithm

Feat

• experimental inline conflict markers when updating
• merge copier settings from multiple documents

Fix

• remove dependency on iteration_utilities

Fix

• remove deprecated code scheduled for removal in Copier v7 (#843)

Feat

• add validator field to Question (#719)
• support passing github or gitlab urls without the .git suffix (#677)

Fix

• compatibility with pydantic 1.10
• git bundle support breaks with relative paths
• prevent name collision for question var name "value"

Refactor

• add "flake8-simplify" plugin and simplify code

Feat

• support getting template commit hash with {{ _copier_conf.vcs_ref_hash }}
• simplify the format of the question prompt (#689)

Fix

• ignore non-PEP-440-compliant tags (#676)

All changes here. Summary:

Added

• Allow using additional Jinja 2 extensions.
• Major version mismatch warning. If your Copier version is too new, you'll be warned.
• Specific exceptions, which will help on error detection for API usages.
• Multiline questions.
• Conditional questions.
• Placeholders.
• Interactive TUI for questionaries. Prompts are way cooler now. 😎
• Python 3.9 support.
• Python 3.10 support.
• Support empty templates suffix, telling Copier to render every file.
• Added --defaults flag to use default answers to questions, which might be null if not specified.
• Added --overwrite flag to overwrite files that already exist, without asking.
• In migration scripts, we have the new environment variables $VERSION_PEP440_FROM, $VERSION_PEP440_CURRENT and $VERSION_PEP440_TO, which will always get a valid PEP440 version identifier, without the v prefix, allowing your migration scripts to have a valid standard where to base their logic.
• Raise a CopierAnswersInterrupt instead of a bare KeyboardInterrupt to provide callers with additional context - such as the partially completed AnswersMap.
• Support for user_defaults, which take precedence over template defaults.
• Copy dirty changes from a git-tracked template to the project by default, to make testing easier.
• Advertise clearly which version is being copied or updated in the CLI.
• Add jinja variable _copier_python to provide python sys.executable.

Changed

• Fully refactored core.
• Running copier copy on a preexisting project now recopies the project instead of updating it. That means that it respects old answers, but ignores history diff.
• We use Jinja 2 defaults now. {{ }} instead of [[ ]] and similar.
• We keep trailing newlines by default for Jinja 2 templates.
• Copier will never ask for overwriting the answers file.
• Multi-typed choices follow the same type-casting logic as any other question, so it's easier to reason about them. However, if you were using this feature, you might be surprised about its side effects if you don't specify the type explicitly. Just add type: yaml to make it behave mostly as before. Or just don't use that, it's complicated anyway (warn added to docs).
• Changed --force to be the same as --defaults --overwrite.
• Copied files will reflect permissions on the same files in the template.
• Copier now uses git clone --filter=blob:none when cloning, to be faster.
• Removing files from templates will remove them too from the subprojects when they get updated.

Deprecated

• Deprecated now and make_secret functions. If your template used those, Copier will emit warnings leading you on how to upgrade it.
• Templates marked with _min_copier_version below 6 will still default to use bracket-based Jinja defaults, but that will disappear soon. If you want your template to work on Copier 5 and 6, make sure to declare _envops explicitly in your copier.yaml.
• copier.copy() is confusing, now that actually copying and updating are 2 completely different actions (before, you were actually always updating if possible). Its direct equivalent is now copier.run_auto(), and copier.copy() will disappear in the future.

Removed

• Minimal supported Python version is now 3.7 (dropped Python 3.6 support).
• Removed the json method on _copier_conf. Where you would previously use _copier_conf.json() in your templates, please now use _copier_conf|to_json instead.
• --subdirectory flag, which was confusing... and probably useless.
• Lots of dead code.

Fixed

• A directory that gets an empty name works as expected: not copied (nor its contents).
• When comparing versions to update, PEP 440 is always used now. This way, we avoid fake ordering when git commit descriptions happen to be ordered in a non-predictable way.
• Answers file will only remember answers to questions specified in the questionary.