cfgparse -- python configuration file parser module

Next: 1 Public interface summary

---

cfgparse is a more convenient, flexible, and powerful module for parsing configuration files than the standard library ConfigParser module. cfgparse uses a more declarative style modelled after the popular optparse standard library module.

cfgparse can optionally cooperate with the optparse module to provide coordination between command line and configuration file options. In addition, the cooperation can be used to allow the user to control features of the parser from the command line.

If you like this module and want to see it in the standard Python distribution, please take the time and add your comments to the Python Configuration File Parser Shootout wiki: http://www.python.org/moin/ConfigParserShootout.

Standard Features

• Simple ini style configuration syntax
• Type checking with error handling and help messages
• Help summary modelled after that in optparse
• Round trip - read, modify, write configuration files with comment retention
• Cooperates with optparse for configuration file options that should be overridden by command line options

Advanced Features

• Supports heirarchically organized option settings
  • User may store multiple option settings in a arbitrarily deep keyed dictionary.
  • Application uses a key list to walk into the dictionary to obtain a setting.
  • User controls key list with setting in configuration file.
  • Supports adding keys to the list through a command line option or from environment variables.
• Supports allowing user control of configuration files used.
  • Environment variables may be used to allow user to specify a default configuration file.
  • Command line options to specify configuration file supported.
  • Configuration files may include other configuration files where where sections are read in parallel.
  • Configuration files may be nested heirarchically by including configuration files from within a section or subsection.
• Configuration files may alternatively be written in Python.
  • full power and flexibility of Python available for creation of option settings
  • allows options settings to be real Python objects
  • this feature is NOT enabled by default
• May be extended to support syntax such as XML.

For example:

# file: intro.ini
retries = 10

And script:

# file: intro.py
import cfgparse
c = cfgparse.ConfigParser()
c.add_option('retries', type='int')
c.add_file('intro.ini')
opts = c.parse()
print 'Number of retries:',opts.retries

Results in:

$ python intro.py
Number of retries: 10

---

cfgparse -- python configuration file parser module

Next: 1 Public interface summary

---