pybrl ⠏⠽⠃⠗⠇

Braille (6-dot cell patterns) for Python

Usage

Library

import pybrl

print(pybrl.braille("braille for python is cool!"))
# Output: "⠃⠗⠁⠊⠇⠇⠑⠀⠋⠕⠗⠀⠏⠽⠞⠓⠕⠝⠀⠊⠎⠀⠉⠕⠕⠇⠮"

print(pybrl.braille_to_ascii("⠃⠗⠁⠊⠇⠇⠑⠀⠋⠕⠗⠀⠏⠽⠞⠓⠕⠝⠀⠊⠎⠀⠉⠕⠕⠇⠮"))
# Output: "braille for python is cool!"

CLI

Pybrl now includes a command-line interface.

# Convert ASCII to Braille
pybrl "Hello World"
# Output: ⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕⠀⠺⠕⠗⠇⠙

# Convert Braille to ASCII
pybrl "⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕⠀⠺⠕⠗⠇⠙" --from braille --to ascii
# Output: hello world

# Convert Braille to Hex codes
pybrl "⠁⠃" --from braille --to hex
# Output: ['41', '42']

Conversions

• braille to ascii (function braille_to_ascii, alias ascii)
• braille to hex (function braille_to_hex, alias hex)
• braille to dot
• braille to matrix
• ascii to braille
• hex to braille
• dot to braille
• matrix to braille

Contractions (Grade 2)

Partial support for Grade 2 Braille (contracted braille) has been implemented. Use the braille2(string) function to convert text to Grade 2 Braille.

Currently supported features:

• Alphabetic Wordsigns: Single letters representing whole words (e.g., 'b' -> 'but', 'c' -> 'can').
• Strong Wordsigns: Common words like 'and', 'the', 'with'.
• Strong Groupsigns: Letter groups like 'ch', 'sh', 'ing', 'ed'.
• Lower Wordsigns: Words like 'his', 'was', 'were'.
• Initial-Letter Contractions: Words/parts like 'day', 'know', 'cannot'.
• Final-Letter Groupsigns: Endings like 'tion', 'ness', 'ment'.
• Shortforms: Abbreviated words like 'about', 'good', 'braille'.

Example:

print(pybrl.braille2("you and the child"))
# Output: "⠽⠀⠯⠀⠮⠀⠡"

print(pybrl.braille2("braille is good"))
# Output: "⠃⠗⠇⠀⠊⠎⠀⠛⠙"

Symbols mappings

CSV file, that hold basic mapping between Braille symbols, ascii, hex, unicode, dot, matrix, words, meanings and decodings data.

https://github.com/markomanninen/pybrl/blob/master/braille_mappings.csv

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille_ASCII https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille_Patterns

http://www.brailleauthority.org/literary/ebae2002.pdf http://www.brailleauthority.org/ueb/symbols_list.pdf http://www.htctu.fhda.edu/trainings/manuals/alt/grade_two_day_2.pdf

The MIT License (MIT)

Copyright (c) 2015/2025 Marko T. Manninen