`configparser`

The Python configparser module provides tools for handling configuration files. It allows you to read, write, and manage user-editable configuration files in a standard format similar to Windows INI files.

Here’s a quick example:

Python
      
        
      
    
>>> import configparser

>>> config = configparser.ConfigParser()
>>> config.read_string("""
... [DEFAULT]
... ServerAliveInterval = 45
... Compression = yes
... CompressionLevel = 9
... """)

>>> config["DEFAULT"]["Compression"]
'yes'

Key Features

Reads and writes configuration files in INI format
Supports interpolation, allowing you to use values from other sections
Provides default values for sections
Allows complex configurations with nested sections

Frequently Used Classes and Functions

Object	Type	Description
`configparser.ConfigParser`	Class	Provides the main class for handling configuration files
`ConfigParser.read()`	Method	Reads a configuration file
`ConfigParser.get()`	Method	Retrieves the value for a given option
`ConfigParser.write()`	Method	Writes the configuration to a file

Examples

Starting with the following configuration file:

Config Fileexample.ini
      
    
[DEFAULT]
ServerAliveInterval = 45
Compression = yes
CompressionLevel = 9

Reading existing values from a configuration file:

Python
      
>>> import configparser

>>> config = configparser.ConfigParser()
>>> config.read("example.ini")
>>> config["DEFAULT"]["ServerAliveInterval"]
'45'

Writing a new value to a configuration file:

Python
      
>>> config["NEW_SECTION"] = {"key": "value"}
>>> with open("example.ini", mode="w", encoding="utf-8") as configfile:
...     config.write(configfile)
...

Common Use Cases

Loading application settings from a file
Allowing user-customizable configurations
Managing complex configuration setups with default values and sections

Real-World Example

Imagine you have an application that needs to load user settings from a file. You can use configparser to handle this task efficiently:

Python
      
>>> import configparser

>>> config = configparser.ConfigParser()

>>> config.read("settings.ini")
>>> config["UserSettings"] = {}
>>> config["UserSettings"]["theme"] = "dark"

>>> with open("settings.ini", mode="w", encoding="utf-8") as configfile:
...     config.write(configfile)
...

In this example, configparser allows you to load settings from an INI file, modify them, and save the changes back to the file, providing a straightforward way to handle user-configurable settings.

Tutorial

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For additional information on related topics, take a look at the following resources: