Python configparser Module

The configparser module in Python provides functionalities to read, write, and manage configuration files. These configuration files are similar to Windows INI files, and they allow you to store data in a structured format, which is easy to read and modify.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Key Classes and Methods
   • ConfigParser
   • read
   • sections
   • add_section
   • set
   • get
   • remove_section
   • remove_option
   • write
3. Examples
   • Reading a Configuration File
   • Writing to a Configuration File
   • Modifying a Configuration File
   • Removing Sections and Options
4. Real-World Use Case
5. Conclusion
6. References

Introduction

The configparser module allows you to work with configuration files that have a simple structure of sections, options, and values. It is useful for storing configuration settings for your applications, enabling you to separate configuration from code.

Key Classes and Methods

ConfigParser

The ConfigParser class provides methods to read, write, and manage configuration files.

import configparser

config = configparser.ConfigParser()

read

Reads a configuration file.

config.read('example.ini')

sections

Returns a list of section names.

sections = config.sections()
print(sections)

add_section

Adds a new section.

config.add_section('new_section')

set

Sets the value of an option.

config.set('new_section', 'option_name', 'value')

get

Gets the value of an option.

value = config.get('new_section', 'option_name')
print(value)

remove_section

Removes a section.

config.remove_section('new_section')

remove_option

Removes an option from a section.

config.remove_option('existing_section', 'option_name')

write

Writes the configuration to a file.

with open('example.ini', 'w') as configfile:
    config.write(configfile)

Examples

Reading a Configuration File

import configparser

config = configparser.ConfigParser()
config.read('example.ini')

for section in config.sections():
    print(f'Section: {section}')
    for key in config[section]:
        print(f'{key} = {config[section][key]}')

Writing to a Configuration File

import configparser

config = configparser.ConfigParser()
config['DEFAULT'] = {'ServerAliveInterval': '45',
                     'Compression': 'yes',
                     'CompressionLevel': '9'}
config['bitbucket.org'] = {'User': 'hg'}
config['topsecret.server.com'] = {'Host Port': '50022', 'ForwardX11': 'no'}

with open('example.ini', 'w') as configfile:
    config.write(configfile)

Modifying a Configuration File

import configparser

config = configparser.ConfigParser()
config.read('example.ini')

config.set('bitbucket.org', 'User', 'git')
config.set('topsecret.server.com', 'ForwardX11', 'yes')

with open('example.ini', 'w') as configfile:
    config.write(configfile)

Removing Sections and Options

import configparser

config = configparser.ConfigParser()
config.read('example.ini')

config.remove_section('bitbucket.org')
config.remove_option('topsecret.server.com', 'ForwardX11')

with open('example.ini', 'w') as configfile:
    config.write(configfile)

Real-World Use Case

Managing Application Configuration

import configparser

def read_config(file):
    config = configparser.ConfigParser()
    config.read(file)
    return config

def write_config(config, file):
    with open(file, 'w') as configfile:
        config.write(configfile)

def update_setting(file, section, option, value):
    config = read_config(file)
    if not config.has_section(section):
        config.add_section(section)
    config.set(section, option, value)
    write_config(config, file)

def get_setting(file, section, option):
    config = read_config(file)
    if config.has_section(section):
        return config.get(section, option)
    else:
        return None

# Example usage
config_file = 'app_config.ini'

# Update a setting
update_setting(config_file, 'Settings', 'debug', 'true')

# Get a setting
debug_mode = get_setting(config_file, 'Settings', 'debug')
print(f'Debug mode: {debug_mode}')

Conclusion

The configparser module in Python provides a convenient way to manage configuration files. It supports reading, writing, and modifying configurations, making it used for managing application settings.

References

• Python configparser module documentation