idna

The idna package does one thing exceptionally well: converting internationalized domain names between Unicode and ASCII representations per RFC 5891. In daily use, the API is straightforward—encode() and decode() methods that just work. I've integrated this into URL parsers, email validators, and certificate verification flows without issues.

From a security perspective, this library shines. It strictly validates according to IDNA2008 specifications, catching malformed inputs and homograph attacks through proper Unicode normalization. Error messages are informative without leaking sensitive data, raising clear IDNAError exceptions when validation fails. The codebase has minimal dependencies (none at runtime), dramatically reducing supply chain risk compared to alternatives.

The library follows secure-by-default principles—it won't silently accept invalid domains or perform unsafe transformations. Updates are infrequent but meaningful, typically addressing Unicode standard updates rather than security patches, which speaks to the implementation's stability. The maintainers have been responsive to legitimate security concerns when raised.

The idna package does exactly what it promises: handles encoding and decoding of internationalized domain names. The API is straightforward with just two main functions you'll use 99% of the time: `encode()` and `decode()`. For basic usage like converting 'münchen.de' to ASCII or vice versa, you'll be productive in minutes. Error messages are clear when you pass invalid domains, making debugging straightforward.

The learning curve is gentle if you already understand what IDNA is, but the documentation assumes you know the problem space. There's no real tutorial or cookbook - just API reference. I found myself reading RFCs and Stack Overflow to understand edge cases. The package handles UTS46 mapping correctly and validates strictly by default, which saved me from accepting malformed domains.

Community support is minimal since it's a focused library - most questions are answered but expect delays. The good news is you rarely need help because the API surface is tiny. When things go wrong, exceptions are informative enough to fix issues quickly. It just works reliably once you understand the basics.

The idna package does one thing well: encoding and decoding internationalized domain names. The API is straightforward with just `idna.encode()` and `idna.decode()` functions that handle the complexity of Unicode domain name conversion. In practice, it just works - you pass in a string and get back the expected result without ceremony.

Error handling is reasonable with clear exceptions when invalid domains are encountered, though the error messages could sometimes be more descriptive about *why* a particular string failed validation. The package follows the IDNA2008 standard by default, which is what you want for modern applications, though the documentation could be clearer about the differences from IDNA2003.

The biggest DX issue is the complete absence of type hints, which means no IDE autocompletion help and you'll need to install type stubs separately (types-idna) for mypy checking. The documentation is minimal but adequate - you can figure out the API quickly, though more examples of edge cases and common pitfalls would help newcomers.