def get_parent_directory(path):
    """Like os.path.dirname except it returns the absolute name of the parent
    of the dirname directory.  No symbolic link expansion (os.path.realpath)
    or user expansion (os.path.expanduser) is done."""
    if not os.path.isdir(path): path = os.path.dirname(path)
    return os.path.abspath(os.path.join(path, os.path.pardir))