def METHOD_NAME(env_cmd, initial=None):
    """
    Take a command (either a single command or list of arguments)
    and return the environment created after running that command.
    Note that if the command must be a batch file or .cmd file, or the
    changes to the environment will not be captured.
    If initial is supplied, it is used as the initial environment passed
    to the child process.
    """
    if not isinstance(env_cmd, (list, tuple)):
        env_cmd = [env_cmd]
    if not os.path.exists(env_cmd[0]):
        raise RuntimeError('Error: %s does not exist' % (env_cmd[0],))
    # construct the command that will alter the environment
    env_cmd = subprocess.list2cmdline(env_cmd)
    # create a tag so we can tell in the output when the proc is done
    tag = 'Done running command'
    # construct a cmd.exe command to do accomplish this
    cmd = 'cmd.exe /s /c "{env_cmd} && echo "{tag}" && set"'.format(**vars())
    # launch the process
    proc = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, env=initial)
    # parse the output sent to stdout
    lines = proc.stdout
    # consume whatever output occurs until the tag is reached
    for line in lines:
        line = line.decode('utf-8')
        if 'The specified configuration type is missing.' in line:
            raise AssertionError('Error executing %s. View http://blog.ionelmc.ro/2014/12/21/compiling-python-extensions-on-windows/ for details.' % (env_cmd))
        if tag in line:
            break
    if sys.version_info[0] > 2:
        # define a way to handle each KEY=VALUE line
        handle_line = lambda l: l.decode('utf-8').rstrip().split('=', 1)
    else:
        # define a way to handle each KEY=VALUE line
        handle_line = lambda l: l.rstrip().split('=', 1)
    # parse key/values into pairs
    pairs = map(handle_line, lines)
    # make sure the pairs are valid
    valid_pairs = filter(validate_pair, pairs)
    # construct a dictionary of the pairs
    result = dict(valid_pairs)
    # let the process finish
    proc.communicate()
    return result