How to read a config file using python

In order to use my example, your file "abc.txt" needs to look like this.

[your-config]
path1 = "D:\test1\first"
path2 = "D:\test2\second"
path3 = "D:\test2\third"

Then in your code you can use the config parser.

import ConfigParser

configParser = ConfigParser.RawConfigParser()   
configFilePath = r'c:\abc.txt'
configParser.read(configFilePath)

As human.js noted in his comment, in Python 3, ConfigParser has been renamed configparser. See Python 3 ImportError: No module named 'ConfigParser' for more details.

You need a section in your file:

[My Section]
path1 = D:\test1\first
path2 = D:\test2\second
path3 = D:\test2\third

Then, read the properties:

import ConfigParser

config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
config.readfp(open(r'abc.txt'))
path1 = config.get('My Section', 'path1')
path2 = config.get('My Section', 'path2')
path3 = config.get('My Section', 'path3')

A convenient solution in your case would be to include the configs in a yaml file named **your_config_name.yml** which would look like this:

path1: "D:\test1\first"
path2: "D:\test2\second"
path3: "D:\test2\third"

In your python code you can then load the config params into a dictionary by doing this:

import yaml
with open('your_config_name.yml') as stream:
    config = yaml.safe_load(stream)

You then access e.g. path1 like this from your dictionary config:

config['path1']

To import yaml you first have to install the package as such: pip install pyyaml into your chosen virtual environment.

If you need to read all values from a section in properties file in a simple manner:

Your config.cfg file layout :

[SECTION_NAME]  
key1 = value1  
key2 = value2  

You code:

   import configparser

   config = configparser.RawConfigParser()
   config.read('path_to_config.cfg file')
    
   details_dict = dict(config.items('SECTION_NAME'))

This will give you a dictionary where keys are same as in config file and their corresponding values.

details_dict is :

{'key1':'value1', 'key2':'value2'}

Now to get key1's value : details_dict['key1']

Putting it all in a method which reads sections from config file only once(the first time the method is called during a program run).

def get_config_dict():
    if not hasattr(get_config_dict, 'config_dict'):
        get_config_dict.config_dict = dict(config.items('SECTION_NAME'))
    return get_config_dict.config_dict

Now call the above function and get the required key's value :

config_details = get_config_dict()
key_1_value = config_details['key1'] 

---

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Generic Multi Section approach:

[SECTION_NAME_1]  
key1 = value1  
key2 = value2  

[SECTION_NAME_2]  
key1 = value1  
key2 = value2

Extending the approach mentioned above, reading section by section automatically and then accessing by section name followed by key name.

def get_config_section():
    if not hasattr(get_config_section, 'section_dict'):
        get_config_section.section_dict = collections.defaultdict()
        
        for section in config.sections():
            get_config_section.section_dict[section] = dict(config.items(section))
    
    return get_config_section.section_dict

To access:

config_dict = get_config_section()

port = config_dict['DB']['port'] 

(here 'DB' is a section name in config file and 'port' is a key under section 'DB'.)