PYSHACL(1)

👑 PYSHACL 💅

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because we're about to talk about PySHACL — that's the manual page for PySHACL, from the User Commands section of your friendly neighborhood man pages. It's giving validator energy and honestly? we're obsessed. 🦋

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

PySHACL 0.30.1 Validator command line tool. that's it, that's the whole vibe. it validates. it's a validator. slay.

here's the usage, and I'm putting it here character for character because the way that this thing has so many flags is genuinely iconic of it:

usage: pyshacl [-h] [-s [SHACL]] [-e [ONT]] [-i {none,rdfs,owlrl,both}]
[-m]

       [-q] [-im] [-a] [-j] [-it] [--abort] [--allow-info] [-w]
       [--max-depth [MAX_DEPTH]] [-d] [--focus [FOCUS]] [--shape
       [SHAPE]] [-f {human,table,turtle,xml,json-ld,nt,n3}] [-df
       {auto,turtle,xml,json-ld,nt,n3}] [-sf
       {auto,turtle,xml,json-ld,nt,n3}] [-ef
       {auto,turtle,xml,json-ld,nt,n3}] [-V] [-o [OUTPUT]] [--rules]
       [--server] [DataGraph]

like ok. we have options. we have options on our options. 🫶

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🎀 positional arguments: 🎀

• DataGraph — the file or endpoint that's holding your Target Data Graph. yes. that one. the data. the graph. the main character. 💖

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💅 options: 💅

• -h, --help — shows this help message and dips. classic. we love a short king. ✨
• -s, --shapes, --shacl [SHACL] — a file containing the SHACL Shapes Graph. three whole aliases for one flag, because why choose.
• -e, --ont-graph [ONT] — a file path or a URL pointing at a document with extra ontological information. the RDFS and OWL definitions in there get used to inoculate the DataGraph. yes, inoculate, like a lil vaccine for your graph. 💉
• -i, --inference {none,rdfs,owlrl,both} — pick which flavor of inferencing runs against the Data Graph before validating. none, rdfs, owlrl, or both. choose your fighter.
• -m, --metashacl — validates the SHACL Shapes graph against the shaclshacl Shapes Graph before validating the Data Graph. meta? meta. it's giving inception. 🌀
• -q, --sparql-mode — treats the DataGraph as a SPARQL endpoint, and validates the graph over at that SPARQL endpoint. no local file needed, bestie. remote girlboss behavior.
• -im, --imports — allows importing sub-graphs that are defined in statements with owl:imports. let it fetch. 📥
• -a, --advanced — turns on features from the SHACL Advanced Features specification. fancy mode: ON.
• -j, --js — turns on features from the SHACL-JS Specification. yes there's JavaScript in your shapes now. we're living in the future. 😭
• -it, --iterate-rules — runs the Shape's SHACL Rules over and over, iteratively, until the data_graph hits a steady state. it'll keep going till it stops changing, no cap.
• --abort — aborts on the very first invalid data. first red flag, we're out. 💀
• --allow-info, --allow-infos — shapes marked with a severity of Info will not cause the result to be invalid. soft launch those.
• -w, --allow-warning, --allow-warnings — shapes marked with a severity of Warning or Info will not cause the result to be invalid. even more lenient, even more chill. 🌸
• --max-depth [MAX_DEPTH] — the maximum number of SHACL shapes "deep" that the validator can go before it reaches an "endpoint" constraint. depth limit, because we can't go down forever. 🕳️
• -d, --debug — outputs extra verbose runtime messages. for when you need the lore. 🔍
• --focus [FOCUS] — optional IRIs of focus nodes from the DataGraph; the shapes will validate only these node. comma-separated list. pick your faves. ⭐
• --shape [SHAPE] — optional IRIs of a NodeShape or PropertyShape from the SHACL ShapesGraph; only these shapes get used to validate the DataGraph. comma-separated list. a curated selection, if you will. 🎀
• -f, --format {human,table,turtle,xml,json-ld,nt,n3} — choose an output format. default is "human". so it speaks to you like a person. 🫶
• -df, --data-file-format {auto,turtle,xml,json-ld,nt,n3} — explicitly states the RDF File format of the input DataGraph file. default="auto". don't make it guess, bestie.
• -sf, --shacl-file-format {auto,turtle,xml,json-ld,nt,n3} — explicitly states the RDF File format of the input SHACL file. default="auto".
• -ef, --ont-file-format {auto,turtle,xml,json-ld,nt,n3} — explicitly states the RDF File format of the extra ontology file. default="auto".
• -V, --version — shows the PySHACL version and exits. hello and goodbye. ✨
• -o, --output [OUTPUT] — sends output to a file (it defaults to stdout). save it for later, scrapbook it, whatever. 📝
• --rules — ignores validation options and runs PySHACL in Rules Expansion mode. same as pyshacl_rules. rules mode. literally. 🔥
• --server — ignores all the rest of the options and starts the HTTP Server. same as pyshacl_server. > heads up bestie: it straight up ignores every other option you passed. it said "not today." 🙈

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📚 SEE ALSO 📚

the full documentation for PySHACL is maintained as a Texinfo manual. if the info and PySHACL programs are properly installed at your site, this command:

info PySHACL

should give you access to the complete manual. iykyk. go read it, it's the whole extended universe. 🌈

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okay that's the page!! 🎉 PySHACL Version: 0.30.1, dated September 2025, and that's a wrap on the User Commands manual section. go validate something and make it everyone's problem. mwah. 💖💅✨