Python ConfigParser

last modified January 29, 2024

Python ConfigParser tutorial shows how to work with configuration files in Python with ConfigParser.

Python ConfigParser

ConfigParser is a Python class which implements a basic configuration language for Python programs. It provides a structure similar to Microsoft Windows INI files. ConfigParser allows to write Python programs which can be customized by end users easily.

The configuration file consists of sections followed by key/value pairs of options. The section names are delimited with [] characters. The pairs are separated either with : or =. Comments start either with # or with ;.

Python ConfigParser read file

In the first example, we read configuration data from a file.

db.ini

[mysql] host = localhost user = user7 passwd = s$cret db = ydb

[postgresql] host = localhost user = user8 passwd = mypwd$7 db = testdb

We have two sections of configuration data.

reading_from_file.py

#!/usr/bin/python

import configparser

config = configparser.ConfigParser() config.read(‘db.ini’)

host = config[‘mysql’][‘host’] user = config[‘mysql’][‘user’] passwd = config[‘mysql’][‘passwd’] db = config[‘mysql’][‘db’]

print(‘MySQL configuration:’)

print(f’Host: {host}’) print(f’User: {user}’) print(f’Password: {passwd}’) print(f’Database: {db}’)

host2 = config[‘postgresql’][‘host’] user2 = config[‘postgresql’][‘user’] passwd2 = config[‘postgresql’][‘passwd’] db2 = config[‘postgresql’][‘db’]

print(‘PostgreSQL configuration:’)

print(f’Host: {host2}’) print(f’User: {user2}’) print(f’Password: {passwd2}’) print(f’Database: {db2}’)

The example reads configuration data for MySQL and PostgreSQL.

config = configparser.ConfigParser() config.read(‘db.ini’)

We initiate the ConfigParser and read the file with read.

host = config[‘mysql’][‘host’] user = config[‘mysql’][‘user’] passwd = config[‘mysql’][‘passwd’] db = config[‘mysql’][‘db’]

We access the options from the mysql section.

host2 = config[‘postgresql’][‘host’] user2 = config[‘postgresql’][‘user’] passwd2 = config[‘postgresql’][‘passwd’] db2 = config[‘postgresql’][‘db’]

We access the options from the postgresql section.

$ python reading_from_file.py MySQL configuration: Host: localhost User: user7 Password: s$cret Database: ydb PostgreSQL configuration: Host: localhost User: user8 Password: mypwd$7 Database: testdb

Python ConfigParser sections

The configuration data is organized into sections. The sections reads all sections and the has_section checks if there is the specified section.

sections.py

#!/usr/bin/python

import configparser

config = configparser.ConfigParser() config.read(‘db.ini’)

sections = config.sections() print(f’Sections: {sections}’)

sections.append(‘sqlite’)

for section in sections:

if config.has_section(section):
  print(f'Config file has section {section}')
else:
  print(f'Config file does not have section {section}')

The example works with sections.

$ python sections.py Sections: [‘mysql’, ‘postgresql’] Config file has section mysql Config file has section postgresql Config file does not have section sqlite

Python ConfigParser read from string

Since Python 3.2, we can read configuration data from a string with the read_string method.

read_from_string.py

#!/usr/bin/python

import configparser

cfg_data = ’’’ [mysql] host = localhost user = user7 passwd = s$cret db = ydb ’’’

config = configparser.ConfigParser() config.read_string(cfg_data)

host = config[‘mysql’][‘host’] user = config[‘mysql’][‘user’] passwd = config[‘mysql’][‘passwd’] db = config[‘mysql’][‘db’]

print(f’Host: {host}’) print(f’User: {user}’) print(f’Password: {passwd}’) print(f’Database: {db}’)

The example reads configuration from a string.

Python ConfigParser read from dictionary

Since Python 3.2, we can read configuration data from a dictionary with the read_dict method.

read_from_dict.py

#!/usr/bin/python

import configparser

cfg_data = { ‘mysql’: {‘host’: ’localhost’, ‘user’: ‘user7’, ‘passwd’: ’s$cret’, ‘db’: ‘ydb’} }

config = configparser.ConfigParser() config.read_dict(cfg_data)

host = config[‘mysql’][‘host’] user = config[‘mysql’][‘user’] passwd = config[‘mysql’][‘passwd’] db = config[‘mysql’][‘db’]

print(f’Host: {host}’) print(f’User: {user}’) print(f’Password: {passwd}’) print(f’Database: {db}’)

The example reads configuration from a Python dictionary.

cfg_data = { ‘mysql’: {‘host’: ’localhost’, ‘user’: ‘user7’, ‘passwd’: ’s$cret’, ‘db’: ‘ydb’} }

Keys are section names, values are dictionaries with keys and values that are present in the section.

Python ConfigParser write

The write method writes configuration data.

writing.py

#!/usr/bin/python

import configparser

config = configparser.ConfigParser()

config.add_section(‘mysql’)

config[‘mysql’][‘host’] = ’localhost’ config[‘mysql’][‘user’] = ‘user7’ config[‘mysql’][‘passwd’] = ’s$cret’ config[‘mysql’][‘db’] = ‘ydb’

with open(‘db3.ini’, ‘w’) as configfile: config.write(configfile)

The example writes config data into the db3.ini file.

config.add_section(‘mysql’)

First, we add a section with add_section.

config[‘mysql’][‘host’] = ’localhost’ config[‘mysql’][‘user’] = ‘user7’ config[‘mysql’][‘passwd’] = ’s$cret’ config[‘mysql’][‘db’] = ‘ydb’

Then we set the options.

with open(‘db3.ini’, ‘w’) as configfile: config.write(configfile)

Finally, we write the data with write.

Python ConfigParser interpolation

ConfigParser allows to use interpolation in the configuration file. It uses the % syntax.

cfg.ini

[info] users_dir= C:\Users name= Jano home_dir= %(users_dir)s%(name)s

We build the home_dir with interpolation. Note that the ’s’ character is part of the syntax.

interpolation.py

#!/usr/bin/python

import configparser

config = configparser.ConfigParser() config.read(‘cfg.ini’)

users_dir = config[‘info’][‘users_dir’] name = config[‘info’][’name’] home_dir = config[‘info’][‘home_dir’]

print(f’Users directory: {users_dir}’) print(f’Name: {name}’) print(f’Home directory: {home_dir}’)

The example reads the values and prints them.

$ python interpolation.py Users directory: C:\Users Name: Jano Home directory: C:\Users\Jano

Source

Python ConfigParser documentation

In this article we have used ConfigParser to work with configuration data in Python.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

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