Packaging and static assets

The Python Interface is generated code. openbb-core ships the openbb package with a placeholder package directory, and a build step writes one module per router path into site-packages/openbb/package/ plus a command reference at site-packages/openbb/assets/reference.json. The generated methods carry the signatures, type hints, and docstrings for every installed command. They contain no business logic; each one forwards to the live router function, so the output always reflects the installed code.

Because the files describe the extensions installed in one environment, they are not shipped pre-built. The REST API does not use them at all: openbb_core.api.rest_api:app loads routers from entry points every time it starts.

When the package rebuilds

Importing openbb compares the extensions recorded in reference.json with the installed entry points, by name and distribution version. If an extension was added, removed, or changed version, the import prints the difference and rebuilds before obb is created. Set OPENBB_AUTO_BUILD=false to skip the check, for example in read-only deployments where the build step runs ahead of time.

The check does not notice edits to an extension installed in editable mode when its version stays the same. Rebuild by hand after changing anything the generated code copies: command names or signatures, QueryParams and Data fields or descriptions, fetcher_dict keys, examples, or entry points. Changes inside fetcher methods, router function bodies, and helpers take effect without a rebuild.

Triggering a build

From a shell, run the console script that openbb-core installs:

openbb-build

It imports openbb in a subprocess, which triggers the automatic build when one is needed, and calls openbb.build() if it was not. From Python:

import openbb

openbb.build()

openbb.build() regenerates every module. Its lint argument (default True) runs ruff check --fix-only over the generated files, and verbose=True prints each file as it is written. Restart the interpreter afterwards so from openbb import obb loads the new modules.

The build writes into the environment's site-packages, so the process needs write access there. Only one build runs at a time; a second concurrent build fails with a RuntimeError naming the lock file. If a build fails, set OPENBB_DEBUG_MODE=true and run openbb-build again for the full traceback.