# pydoc > future

---
type: CommandReference
command: future
mode: pydoc
section: 
source: pydoc3
---

## Quick Reference
- `from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals` — Enable Python 3-compatible behaviors in Python 2
- `from builtins import bytes, dict, int, list, object, range, str` — Use Python 3 builtins on Python 2
- `from future.standard_library import install_aliases; install_aliases()` — Make PEP 3108 standard library reorganization available on Python 2
- `import html.parser` — Use Py3-named top-level packages on Py2 (e.g., `html.parser`, `queue`, `tkinter.dialog`, `xmlrpc.client`)
- `futurize` — Automated conversion script to make code compatible with both Python 2 and 3 (similar to `python-modernize` but more comprehensive)

## Name
**future** — Easy, safe support for Python 2/3 compatibility (version 0.18.2)

## Synopsis
The recommended usage pattern:
python
from __future__ import (absolute_import, division,
                        print_function, unicode_literals)
from builtins import (
         bytes, dict, int, list, object, range, str,
         ascii, chr, hex, input, next, oct, open,
         pow, round, super,
         filter, map, zip)
## Options
(No command-line options; the package is imported programmatically. The `futurize` script provides its own command-line flags.)

## Examples
Standard library reorganization (PEP 3108) — Py3 names work on Py2:
python
>>> import html.parser
>>> import queue
>>> import tkinter.dialog
>>> import xmlrpc.client
Install aliases for extended Py2 module names:
python
>>> from future.standard_library import install_aliases
>>> install_aliases()
>>> from collections import Counter, OrderedDict   # backported to Py2.6
>>> from collections import UserDict, UserList, UserString
>>> import urllib.request
>>> from itertools import filterfalse, zip_longest
>>> from subprocess import getoutput, getstatusoutput
Automatic conversion with `futurize`:
shell
futurize --stage1 myfile.py
futurize --stage2 myfile.py
## See Also
- [Python-Future Documentation](http://python-future.org)
- [futurize automatic conversion](http://python-future.org/automatic_conversion.html)
- [PEP 3108 – Standard Library Reorganization](https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-3108/)
- `builtins` module (from `future`)
- `future.standard_library` module
- `python-modernize` (alternative tool)