Parsing config.ini in python

Question

File

config.ini

file ;SQL Server 2012 Configuration File [OPTIONS]

; Specifies a Setup work flow, like INSTALL, UNINSTALL, or UPGRADE. This is a required parameter. 

ACTION="Install"

; Detailed help for command line argument ENU has not been defined yet. 

ENU="True"

; Parameter that controls the user interface behavior. Valid values are Normal for the full UI,AutoAdvance for a simplied UI, and EnableUIOnServerCore for bypassing Server Core setup GUI block. 


IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS="True"

; Setup will not display any user interface. 

QUIET="True"

I have a python code like this

def change_file(filepath, add_comment, trigger_words):

    def process(line):
        line_word = line.lstrip(';').split('=')[0]

        if line_word in trigger_words:
            if add_comment:
                line = line if line.startswith(';') else ';' + line
            else:
                line = line.lstrip(';')

        return line


    with open(filepath) as f:
        content = [process(line) for line in f]


    with open(filepath, 'r+') as f:
        f.truncate()
        f.write(''.join(content))


change_file('abc.ini', add_comment=True, trigger_words=["IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS", "ENU"])

When i run the above code i get the output like this

;SQL Server 2012 Configuration File
    ਍嬀伀倀吀䤀伀一匀崀ഀഀ

    ਍㬀 匀瀀攀挀椀昀椀攀猀 愀 匀攀琀甀瀀 眀漀爀欀 昀氀漀眀Ⰰ 氀椀欀攀 䤀一匀吀䄀䰀䰀Ⰰ 唀一䤀一匀吀䄀䰀䰀Ⰰ 漀爀 唀倀䜀刀䄀䐀䔀⸀ 吀栀椀猀 椀猀 愀 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀搀 瀀愀爀愀洀攀琀攀爀⸀ ഀഀ

    ਍䄀䌀吀䤀伀一㴀∀䤀渀猀琀愀氀氀∀ഀഀ

    ਍㬀 䐀攀琀愀椀氀攀搀 栀攀氀瀀 昀漀爀 挀漀洀洀愀渀搀 氀椀渀攀 愀爀最甀洀攀渀琀 䔀一唀 栀愀猀 渀漀琀 戀攀攀渀 搀攀昀椀渀攀搀 礀攀琀⸀ ഀഀ

    ਍䔀一唀㴀∀吀爀甀攀∀ഀഀ

    ਍㬀 倀愀爀愀洀攀琀攀爀 琀栀愀琀 挀漀渀琀爀漀氀猀 琀栀攀 甀猀攀爀 椀渀琀攀爀昀愀挀攀 戀攀栀愀瘀椀漀爀⸀ 嘀愀氀椀搀 瘀愀氀甀攀猀 愀爀攀 一漀爀洀愀氀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 昀甀氀氀 唀䤀Ⰰ䄀甀琀漀䄀搀瘀愀渀挀攀 昀漀爀 愀 猀椀洀瀀氀椀攀搀 唀䤀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 䔀渀愀戀氀攀唀䤀伀渀匀攀爀瘀攀爀䌀漀爀攀 昀漀爀 戀礀瀀愀猀猀椀渀最 匀攀爀瘀攀爀 䌀漀爀攀 猀攀琀甀瀀 䜀唀䤀 戀氀漀挀欀⸀ ഀഀ

    ਍ഀഀ
    IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS="True"
    ਍ഀഀ
    ; Setup will not display any user interface.
    ਍ഀഀ
    QUIET="True"

Expectation is to just add

;

infront of these words

"IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS", "ENU"

Answer 1

If it is a real INI file then you can use Python's standard library module called configparser .

Otherwise, read the file into memory and split it into a dictionary or a list.

And then you can add whatever you want and put it back.

Like this:

def LoadConfigFile (path):
    f = open(path, "r")
    c = f.readlines()
    f.close()
    d = {}
    for x in c:
        x = x.strip()
        if x.startswith(";") or x.startswith("#"): continue
        x = x.split("=", 1)
        if len(x)!=2: continue
        d[x[0].rstrip()] = x[1].lstrip()
    return d

This way you have easy access to name, value pairs and you can add options as you go.

When you want to save it, just reverse the process.

If you want options to be sorted in the original order, then use OrderedDict() or a list instead of dictionary.