getstatusoutput(cmdlike getoutput()except that -tuple (statusoutputis returnedwhere status is the exit codeas returned by the os wait(functionand output is the string returned by getoutput(notes this module is only available in python in python both of the previous functions are found in the subprocess module although this module can be used for simple shell operationsyou are almost always better off using the subprocess module for launching subprocesses and collecting their output see alsosubprocess ( configparserconfigparser the configparser module (called configparser in python is used to read ini format configuration files based on the windows ini format these files consist of named sectionseach with its own variable assignments such as the followinga comment comment [section name value name value [section alternative syntax for assigning values name value name value the configparser class the following class is used to manage configuration variablesconfigparser([defaults [dict_type]]creates new configparser instance defaults is an optional dictionary of values that can be referenced in configuration variables by including string format specifiers such as '%(key)swhere key is key of defaults dict_type specifies the type of dictionary that is used internally for storing configuration variables by defaultit is dict (the built-in dictionaryan instance of configparser has the following operationsc add_section(sectionadds new section to the stored configuration parameters section is string with the section name lib fl ff