INIParse

Common errors

• AttributeError: 'ConfigParser' object has no attribute 'readfp'

  cause This error occurs in Python 3.12+ because the `readfp` method was removed from the standard `configparser.ConfigParser` class, which `iniparse` internally extends or mimics. Older `iniparse` versions have not adapted to this change.
  fix Upgrade `iniparse` to version 0.5.1 or newer to resolve this compatibility issue: `pip install --upgrade iniparse`. The recommended replacement is `read_file`.

• TypeError: 'ConfigParser' object is not subscriptable (when using dotted notation)

  cause This error typically indicates you've accidentally imported the standard `configparser.ConfigParser` instead of `iniparse.ConfigParser`. The standard library's parser does not support dotted notation for accessing sections/options.
  fix Ensure your import statement is `from iniparse import ConfigParser`. If you already have `iniparse` installed, verify the import path is correct and not shadowed by `configparser`.

Warnings

• breaking Older versions of `iniparse` may encounter compatibility issues with Python 3.11 due to internal changes in `ConfigParser` or deprecated features. Version 0.5.1 specifically addresses Python 3.11 compatibility.
  Fix: Upgrade to `iniparse` version 0.5.1 or newer: `pip install --upgrade iniparse`.
• breaking When running on Python 3.12 or newer, `iniparse` versions older than 0.5.1 may break due to the removal of `ConfigParser.readfp` and certain `unittest` aliases. `readfp` has been deprecated since Python 3.2 and is removed in 3.12.
  Fix: Upgrade to `iniparse` version 0.5.1 or newer to ensure compatibility with Python 3.12+ (though full 3.12+ support might require further updates depending on the extent of internal changes): `pip install --upgrade iniparse`.
• gotcha While `iniparse` is API-compatible with `ConfigParser`, its core feature is preserving INI file structure (order, comments, blank lines) upon writing. This might lead to unexpected file modifications if a user expects the default `ConfigParser` behavior of stripping these elements during write operations, which `iniparse` is specifically designed to avoid.
  Fix: Be aware that `iniparse.ConfigParser.write()` will attempt to preserve the original file's formatting as much as possible, unlike the standard library's `configparser.ConfigParser.write()` which normalizes the output.

Install

• pip install iniparse

Imports

• ConfigParser
  wrong:

  from configparser import ConfigParser

  correct:

  from iniparse import ConfigParser

  While API compatible, `iniparse` offers extended features; directly importing from `configparser` will not provide `iniparse`'s benefits like structure preservation or dotted notation.
• RawConfigParser

  from iniparse import RawConfigParser

  Provided for API compatibility with the standard library's `ConfigParser` module.
• SafeConfigParser

  from iniparse import SafeConfigParser

  Provided for API compatibility with the standard library's `ConfigParser` module.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to read an INI file, access and modify values using both dotted notation and dictionary-like syntax, add new options, and write the updated configuration back to a new file, ensuring original structure and comments are preserved. It uses `ConfigParser` from `iniparse`.

import os
from iniparse import ConfigParser

# Create a dummy INI file
ini_content = """
[mysection]
key = value
another_key = another value

[database]
host = localhost
port = 5432
user = dbuser
"""

config_file_path = 'config.ini'
with open(config_file_path, 'w') as f:
    f.write(ini_content)

# Initialize and read the INI file
cfg = ConfigParser()
cfg.read(config_file_path)

# Access values using dotted notation or dictionary-like syntax
print(f"Value for mysection.key: {cfg.mysection.key}")
print(f"Value for database.port: {cfg['database']['port']}")

# Modify a value
cfg.mysection.key = 'new_value'
print(f"Modified value for mysection.key: {cfg.mysection.key}")

# Add a new option
cfg.database.password = os.environ.get('DB_PASSWORD', 'default_password')
print(f"Added database.password: {cfg.database.password}")

# Write changes to a new INI file, preserving structure
new_config_file_path = 'new_config.ini'
with open(new_config_file_path, 'w') as f:
    cfg.write(f)

print(f"Configuration written to {new_config_file_path}")

# Clean up dummy files
os.remove(config_file_path)
os.remove(new_config_file_path)