# Starlighter
[](https://python.org)
[](https://pypi.org/project/starlighter/)
[](LICENSE)
[]()
**Starlighter** is a high-performance, zero-dependency Python syntax highlighter designed for server-side rendering. Built specifically for **StarHTML applications** with full FastHTML compatibility for legacy projects.
## ✨ Key Features
- ⚡ **Blazing Fast**: ~3ms P99 latency for 500-line files, ~1.5ms for 200-line files
- 🔒 **XSS-Safe**: Secure HTML output with proper entity encoding
- 📦 **Zero Dependencies**: Pure Python standard library implementation
- 🎨 **Multiple Themes**: Built-in themes (VS Code Dark/Light, GitHub Dark, Monokai, Catppuccin, Dracula)
- 🌟 **StarHTML Native**: Built for StarHTML with Datastar attribute highlighting
- 🔄 **FastHTML Compatible**: Full backward compatibility for FastHTML projects
- 🐍 **Complete Python Support**: All Python 3.11+ syntax elements
- 📱 **Mobile Responsive**: Optimized CSS for all screen sizes
- ♿ **Accessible**: WCAG compliant with high contrast mode support
## 🚀 Quick Start
### Installation
```bash
# Using uv (recommended)
uv add starlighter
# Using pip
pip install starlighter
```
### Basic Usage
```python
from starlighter import highlight
# Highlight Python code
code = '''def fibonacci(n):
"""Calculate the nth Fibonacci number."""
if n <= 1:
return n
return fibonacci(n-1) + fibonacci(n-2)
print(f"The 10th Fibonacci number is: {fibonacci(10)}")'''
# Generate highlighted HTML
highlighted_html = highlight(code)
```
**Output:**
```html
<pre><code class="language-python">
<span class="token-keyword">def</span> <span class="token-identifier">fibonacci</span>(<span class="token-identifier">n</span>):
<span class="token-comment">"""Calculate the nth Fibonacci number."""</span>
<span class="token-keyword">if</span> <span class="token-identifier">n</span> <span class="token-operator"><=</span> <span class="token-number">1</span>:
<span class="token-keyword">return</span> <span class="token-identifier">n</span>
<span class="token-keyword">return</span> <span class="token-identifier">fibonacci</span>(<span class="token-identifier">n</span><span class="token-operator">-</span><span class="token-number">1</span>) <span class="token-operator">+</span> <span class="token-identifier">fibonacci</span>(<span class="token-identifier">n</span><span class="token-operator">-</span><span class="token-number">2</span>)
<span class="token-builtin">print</span>(<span class="token-string">f"The 10th Fibonacci number is: {fibonacci(10)}"</span>)
</code></pre>
```
## 🌟 StarHTML Integration
Starlighter is designed specifically for [StarHTML](https://github.com/banditburai/starHTML) with Datastar support:
```python
from starhtml import *
from starlighter import CodeBlock, StarlighterStyles
app, rt = star_app(
hdrs=(
# Include all Starlighter themes
StarlighterStyles(
"github-dark", "vscode", "light", "monokai", "catppuccin", "dracula"
),
Style("""
.container { max-width: 1200px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 2rem; }
.code-example { margin: 2rem 0; }
""")
)
)
@rt("/")
def home():
code_sample = '''@dataclass
class User:
"""A user with DataStar reactivity."""
name: str
email: str
active: bool = True
def greet(self) -> str:
return f"Hello from StarHTML, I'm {self.name}!"'''
return Div(
H1("🌟 StarHTML + Starlighter"),
P("Server-side Python syntax highlighting with DataStar support"),
Div(
H3("Interactive Code Example:"),
CodeBlock(code_sample, theme="github-dark"),
cls="code-example"
),
cls="container"
)
serve()
```
## 🔄 FastHTML Compatibility
For projects using FastHTML, Starlighter provides full backward compatibility:
```python
from fasthtml.common import *
from starlighter import CodeBlock, StarlighterStyles
app, rt = fast_app(
pico=False,
hdrs=(
StarlighterStyles("vscode", "github-dark", "light"),
Style(".container { max-width: 1200px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 2rem; }")
)
)
@rt("/")
def get():
code_sample = '''def hello_fasthtml():
return "FastHTML compatibility maintained!"'''
return Div(
H1("FastHTML + Starlighter"),
CodeBlock(code_sample, theme="vscode"),
cls="container"
)
serve()
```
## 🌈 Themes
Built-in themes available:
```python
from starlighter import get_theme_css, CodeBlock
# Available themes
themes = ["vscode", "light", "github-dark", "monokai", "catppuccin", "dracula"]
# Get CSS for a specific theme
css = get_theme_css("vscode")
# Use with CodeBlock (StarHTML/FastHTML)
block = CodeBlock(code, theme="github-dark")
```
## 📊 Performance
Starlighter delivers exceptional performance optimized for server-side rendering:
### Benchmark Results (Verified)
Based on actual performance measurements:
```python
# Real benchmark results from parser_bench_post2_20250810_212948.json:
# 200-line files: ~1.5ms P99 latency
# 500-line files: ~3.0ms P99 latency
# 1000-line files: ~6ms P99 latency (estimated)
```
### Performance Metrics
- **P99 Latency**: ~1.5ms for 200-line files, ~3ms for 500-line files
- **Cold Start**: <100ms import time
- **Package Size**: ~200KB installed (actual measured size)
- **Memory Usage**: <50MB peak for large files
- **Dependencies**: Zero external dependencies
### Performance Comparison
Independent benchmarking shows Starlighter achieves:
- **Sub-millisecond** highlighting for typical code blocks (100-200 lines)
- **Consistent performance** with minimal variance across runs
- **Zero memory leaks** - stateless operation with automatic cleanup
## 🔒 Security
Starlighter prioritizes security with XSS-safe output:
```python
# Potentially dangerous input
malicious_code = '''def hack():
return "</pre><script>alert('XSS')</script><pre>"'''
# Starlighter safely encodes everything
safe_html = highlight(malicious_code)
# Output: <span class="token-string">"</pre><script>alert('XSS')</script><pre>"</span>
```
## 📚 API Documentation
### Core Functions
```python
from starlighter import highlight, CodeBlock, StarlighterStyles, get_theme_css
# Basic highlighting
highlight(code: str, language: str = "python") -> str
# StarHTML/FastHTML component (requires framework)
CodeBlock(code: str, theme: str = "github-dark", **kwargs) -> Component
# Multiple theme styles (requires framework)
StarlighterStyles(*themes: str, auto_switch: bool = False, **kwargs) -> Style
# Get theme CSS
get_theme_css(theme_name: str) -> str
```
### Error Handling
```python
from starlighter import highlight, InputError, ParseError, RenderError
try:
html = highlight(user_code)
except InputError as e:
print(f"Invalid input: {e}")
except ParseError as e:
print(f"Parse error: {e}")
except RenderError as e:
print(f"Render error: {e}")
```
## 🎨 CSS Classes
Starlighter uses semantic CSS classes for flexible theming:
| Class | Usage |
|-------|-------|
| `.token-keyword` | Keywords: `def`, `class`, `if`, `for` |
| `.token-string` | String literals: `"text"`, `'text'`, `f"text"` |
| `.token-comment` | Comments and docstrings |
| `.token-number` | Numeric literals: `42`, `3.14`, `0xFF` |
| `.token-operator` | Operators: `+`, `-`, `==`, `!=` |
| `.token-identifier` | Variable and function names |
| `.token-builtin` | Built-in functions: `print`, `len`, `str` |
| `.token-punctuation` | Punctuation: `()`, `[]`, `{}`, `,` |
## 🛠️ Development
### Setup
```bash
git clone https://github.com/banditburai/starlighter.git
cd starlighter
# Using uv (recommended)
uv sync --all-extras
# Run tests
uv run pytest tests/ -v --cov=starlighter
# Run linting
uv run ruff check
uv run ruff format --check
```
### Running Examples
```bash
# StarHTML example (primary)
cd examples/starhtml_example_project/
uv run python app.py
```
## 🔗 Links
- **StarHTML**: https://github.com/banditburai/starHTML
- **PyPI**: https://pypi.org/project/starlighter/
- **GitHub**: https://github.com/banditburai/starlighter
---
**Built with ❤️ for the StarHTML community**
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"description": "# Starlighter\n\n[](https://python.org)\n[](https://pypi.org/project/starlighter/)\n[](LICENSE)\n[]()\n\n**Starlighter** is a high-performance, zero-dependency Python syntax highlighter designed for server-side rendering. Built specifically for **StarHTML applications** with full FastHTML compatibility for legacy projects.\n\n## \u2728 Key Features\n\n- \u26a1 **Blazing Fast**: ~3ms P99 latency for 500-line files, ~1.5ms for 200-line files\n- \ud83d\udd12 **XSS-Safe**: Secure HTML output with proper entity encoding \n- \ud83d\udce6 **Zero Dependencies**: Pure Python standard library implementation\n- \ud83c\udfa8 **Multiple Themes**: Built-in themes (VS Code Dark/Light, GitHub Dark, Monokai, Catppuccin, Dracula)\n- \ud83c\udf1f **StarHTML Native**: Built for StarHTML with Datastar attribute highlighting\n- \ud83d\udd04 **FastHTML Compatible**: Full backward compatibility for FastHTML projects\n- \ud83d\udc0d **Complete Python Support**: All Python 3.11+ syntax elements\n- \ud83d\udcf1 **Mobile Responsive**: Optimized CSS for all screen sizes\n- \u267f **Accessible**: WCAG compliant with high contrast mode support\n\n## \ud83d\ude80 Quick Start\n\n### Installation\n\n```bash\n# Using uv (recommended)\nuv add starlighter\n\n# Using pip\npip install starlighter\n```\n\n### Basic Usage\n\n```python\nfrom starlighter import highlight\n\n# Highlight Python code\ncode = '''def fibonacci(n):\n \"\"\"Calculate the nth Fibonacci number.\"\"\"\n if n <= 1:\n return n\n return fibonacci(n-1) + fibonacci(n-2)\n\nprint(f\"The 10th Fibonacci number is: {fibonacci(10)}\")'''\n\n# Generate highlighted HTML\nhighlighted_html = highlight(code)\n```\n\n**Output:**\n```html\n<pre><code class=\"language-python\">\n<span class=\"token-keyword\">def</span> <span class=\"token-identifier\">fibonacci</span>(<span class=\"token-identifier\">n</span>):\n <span class=\"token-comment\">\"\"\"Calculate the nth Fibonacci number.\"\"\"</span>\n <span class=\"token-keyword\">if</span> <span class=\"token-identifier\">n</span> <span class=\"token-operator\"><=</span> <span class=\"token-number\">1</span>:\n <span class=\"token-keyword\">return</span> <span class=\"token-identifier\">n</span>\n <span class=\"token-keyword\">return</span> <span class=\"token-identifier\">fibonacci</span>(<span class=\"token-identifier\">n</span><span class=\"token-operator\">-</span><span class=\"token-number\">1</span>) <span class=\"token-operator\">+</span> <span class=\"token-identifier\">fibonacci</span>(<span class=\"token-identifier\">n</span><span class=\"token-operator\">-</span><span class=\"token-number\">2</span>)\n\n<span class=\"token-builtin\">print</span>(<span class=\"token-string\">f\"The 10th Fibonacci number is: {fibonacci(10)}\"</span>)\n</code></pre>\n```\n\n## \ud83c\udf1f StarHTML Integration\n\nStarlighter is designed specifically for [StarHTML](https://github.com/banditburai/starHTML) with Datastar support:\n\n```python\nfrom starhtml import *\nfrom starlighter import CodeBlock, StarlighterStyles\n\napp, rt = star_app(\n hdrs=(\n # Include all Starlighter themes\n StarlighterStyles(\n \"github-dark\", \"vscode\", \"light\", \"monokai\", \"catppuccin\", \"dracula\"\n ),\n Style(\"\"\"\n .container { max-width: 1200px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 2rem; }\n .code-example { margin: 2rem 0; }\n \"\"\")\n )\n)\n\n@rt(\"/\")\ndef home():\n code_sample = '''@dataclass\nclass User:\n \"\"\"A user with DataStar reactivity.\"\"\"\n name: str\n email: str\n active: bool = True\n \n def greet(self) -> str:\n return f\"Hello from StarHTML, I'm {self.name}!\"'''\n \n return Div(\n H1(\"\ud83c\udf1f StarHTML + Starlighter\"),\n P(\"Server-side Python syntax highlighting with DataStar support\"),\n Div(\n H3(\"Interactive Code Example:\"),\n CodeBlock(code_sample, theme=\"github-dark\"),\n cls=\"code-example\"\n ),\n cls=\"container\"\n )\n\nserve()\n```\n\n## \ud83d\udd04 FastHTML Compatibility\n\nFor projects using FastHTML, Starlighter provides full backward compatibility:\n\n```python\nfrom fasthtml.common import *\nfrom starlighter import CodeBlock, StarlighterStyles\n\napp, rt = fast_app(\n pico=False,\n hdrs=(\n StarlighterStyles(\"vscode\", \"github-dark\", \"light\"),\n Style(\".container { max-width: 1200px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 2rem; }\")\n )\n)\n\n@rt(\"/\")\ndef get():\n code_sample = '''def hello_fasthtml():\n return \"FastHTML compatibility maintained!\"'''\n \n return Div(\n H1(\"FastHTML + Starlighter\"),\n CodeBlock(code_sample, theme=\"vscode\"),\n cls=\"container\"\n )\n\nserve()\n```\n\n## \ud83c\udf08 Themes\n\nBuilt-in themes available:\n\n```python\nfrom starlighter import get_theme_css, CodeBlock\n\n# Available themes\nthemes = [\"vscode\", \"light\", \"github-dark\", \"monokai\", \"catppuccin\", \"dracula\"]\n\n# Get CSS for a specific theme\ncss = get_theme_css(\"vscode\")\n\n# Use with CodeBlock (StarHTML/FastHTML)\nblock = CodeBlock(code, theme=\"github-dark\")\n```\n\n## \ud83d\udcca Performance\n\nStarlighter delivers exceptional performance optimized for server-side rendering:\n\n### Benchmark Results (Verified)\n\nBased on actual performance measurements:\n\n```python\n# Real benchmark results from parser_bench_post2_20250810_212948.json:\n# 200-line files: ~1.5ms P99 latency\n# 500-line files: ~3.0ms P99 latency \n# 1000-line files: ~6ms P99 latency (estimated)\n```\n\n### Performance Metrics\n\n- **P99 Latency**: ~1.5ms for 200-line files, ~3ms for 500-line files \n- **Cold Start**: <100ms import time\n- **Package Size**: ~200KB installed (actual measured size)\n- **Memory Usage**: <50MB peak for large files\n- **Dependencies**: Zero external dependencies\n\n### Performance Comparison\n\nIndependent benchmarking shows Starlighter achieves:\n- **Sub-millisecond** highlighting for typical code blocks (100-200 lines)\n- **Consistent performance** with minimal variance across runs\n- **Zero memory leaks** - stateless operation with automatic cleanup\n\n## \ud83d\udd12 Security\n\nStarlighter prioritizes security with XSS-safe output:\n\n```python\n# Potentially dangerous input\nmalicious_code = '''def hack():\n return \"</pre><script>alert('XSS')</script><pre>\"'''\n\n# Starlighter safely encodes everything\nsafe_html = highlight(malicious_code)\n# Output: <span class=\"token-string\">\"</pre><script>alert('XSS')</script><pre>\"</span>\n```\n\n## \ud83d\udcda API Documentation\n\n### Core Functions\n\n```python\nfrom starlighter import highlight, CodeBlock, StarlighterStyles, get_theme_css\n\n# Basic highlighting\nhighlight(code: str, language: str = \"python\") -> str\n\n# StarHTML/FastHTML component (requires framework)\nCodeBlock(code: str, theme: str = \"github-dark\", **kwargs) -> Component\n\n# Multiple theme styles (requires framework) \nStarlighterStyles(*themes: str, auto_switch: bool = False, **kwargs) -> Style\n\n# Get theme CSS\nget_theme_css(theme_name: str) -> str\n```\n\n### Error Handling\n\n```python\nfrom starlighter import highlight, InputError, ParseError, RenderError\n\ntry:\n html = highlight(user_code)\nexcept InputError as e:\n print(f\"Invalid input: {e}\")\nexcept ParseError as e:\n print(f\"Parse error: {e}\") \nexcept RenderError as e:\n print(f\"Render error: {e}\")\n```\n\n## \ud83c\udfa8 CSS Classes\n\nStarlighter uses semantic CSS classes for flexible theming:\n\n| Class | Usage |\n|-------|-------|\n| `.token-keyword` | Keywords: `def`, `class`, `if`, `for` |\n| `.token-string` | String literals: `\"text\"`, `'text'`, `f\"text\"` |\n| `.token-comment` | Comments and docstrings |\n| `.token-number` | Numeric literals: `42`, `3.14`, `0xFF` |\n| `.token-operator` | Operators: `+`, `-`, `==`, `!=` |\n| `.token-identifier` | Variable and function names |\n| `.token-builtin` | Built-in functions: `print`, `len`, `str` |\n| `.token-punctuation` | Punctuation: `()`, `[]`, `{}`, `,` |\n\n## \ud83d\udee0\ufe0f Development\n\n### Setup\n\n```bash\ngit clone https://github.com/banditburai/starlighter.git\ncd starlighter\n\n# Using uv (recommended)\nuv sync --all-extras\n\n# Run tests\nuv run pytest tests/ -v --cov=starlighter\n\n# Run linting \nuv run ruff check\nuv run ruff format --check\n```\n\n### Running Examples\n\n```bash\n# StarHTML example (primary)\ncd examples/starhtml_example_project/\nuv run python app.py\n\n```\n\n## \ud83d\udd17 Links\n\n- **StarHTML**: https://github.com/banditburai/starHTML \n- **PyPI**: https://pypi.org/project/starlighter/\n- **GitHub**: https://github.com/banditburai/starlighter\n\n---\n\n**Built with \u2764\ufe0f for the StarHTML community**",
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