\index{WWW}
\index{Internet}
-\index{World-Wide Web}
+\index{World Wide Web}
The modules described in this chapter implement Internet protocols and
support for related technology. They are all implemented in Python.
\noindent
Python is an extensible, interpreted, object-oriented programming
language. It supports a wide range of applications, from simple text
-processing scripts to interactive WWW browsers.
+processing scripts to interactive Web browsers.
While the \citetitle[../ref/ref.html]{Python Reference Manual}
describes the exact syntax and semantics of the language, it does not
different technique, that lets you have nearly all the advantages of
multi-threading, without actually using multiple threads. It's really
only practical if your program is largely I/O bound. If your program
-is CPU bound, then pre-emptive scheduled threads are probably what
-you really need. Network servers are rarely CPU-bound, however.
+is processor bound, then pre-emptive scheduled threads are probably what
+you really need. Network servers are rarely processor bound, however.
If your operating system supports the \cfunction{select()} system call
in its I/O library (and nearly all do), then you can use it to juggle
\index{MIME!base64 encoding}
This module performs base64 encoding and decoding of arbitrary binary
-strings into text strings that can be safely emailed or posted. The
+strings into text strings that can be safely sent by email or included
+as part of an HTTP POST request. The
encoding scheme is defined in \rfc{1521} (\emph{MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) Part One: Mechanisms for
Specifying and Describing the Format of Internet Message Bodies},
\index{httpd}
This module defines two classes for implementing HTTP servers
-(web servers). Usually, this module isn't used directly, but is used
-as a basis for building functioning web servers. See the
+(Web servers). Usually, this module isn't used directly, but is used
+as a basis for building functioning Web servers. See the
\module{SimpleHTTPServer}\refstmodindex{SimpleHTTPServer} and
\refmodule{CGIHTTPServer}\refstmodindex{CGIHTTPServer} modules.
The first class, \class{HTTPServer}, is a
-\class{SocketServer.TCPServer} subclass. It creates and listens at the
-web socket, dispatching the requests to a handler. Code to create and
+\class{SocketServer.TCPServer} subclass. It creates and listens at the
+HTTP socket, dispatching the requests to a handler. Code to create and
run the server looks like this:
\begin{verbatim}
\index{URL}
-Support module for CGI (Common Gateway Interface) scripts.%
+Support module for Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts.%
\index{Common Gateway Interface}
This module defines a number of utilities for use by CGI scripts
\function{os.system()} or \function{os.popen()} functions. or others
with similar functionality), make very sure you don't pass arbitrary
strings received from the client to the shell. This is a well-known
-security hole whereby clever hackers anywhere on the web can exploit a
+security hole whereby clever hackers anywhere on the Web can exploit a
gullible CGI script to invoke arbitrary shell commands. Even parts of
the URL or field names cannot be trusted, since the request doesn't
have to come from your form!
(write, execute) files that everybody can read (write, execute). The
current directory at execution time is also different (it is usually
the server's cgi-bin directory) and the set of environment variables
-is also different from what you get at login. In particular, don't
+is also different from what you get when you log in. In particular, don't
count on the shell's search path for executables (\envvar{PATH}) or
the Python module search path (\envvar{PYTHONPATH}) to be set to
anything interesting.
\section{\module{fl} ---
- FORMS library interface for GUI applications}
+ FORMS library for graphical user interfaces}
\declaremodule{builtin}{fl}
\platform{IRIX}
-\modulesynopsis{FORMS library interface for GUI applications.}
+\modulesynopsis{FORMS library for applications with graphical user
+ interfaces.}
This module provides an interface to the FORMS Library\index{FORMS
The standard formatter. This implementation has demonstrated wide
applicability to many writers, and may be used directly in most
circumstances. It has been used to implement a full-featured
-world-wide web browser.
+World Wide Web browser.
\end{classdesc}
trace; some provide interfaces that are specific to particular
operating systems, such as access to specific hardware; others provide
interfaces that are
-specific to a particular application domain, like the World-Wide Web.
+specific to a particular application domain, like the World Wide Web.
Some modules are available in all versions and ports of Python; others
are only available when the underlying system supports or requires
them; yet others are available only when a particular configuration
\section{\module{os} ---
- Miscellaneous OS interfaces}
+ Miscellaneous operating system interfaces}
\declaremodule{standard}{os}
-\modulesynopsis{Miscellaneous OS interfaces.}
+\modulesynopsis{Miscellaneous operating system interfaces.}
This module provides a more portable way of using operating system
-(OS) dependent functionality than importing an OS dependent built-in
-module like \refmodule{posix} or \module{nt}.
+dependent functionality than importing a operating system dependent
+built-in module like \refmodule{posix} or \module{nt}.
-This module searches for an OS dependent built-in module like
+This module searches for an operating system dependent built-in module like
\module{mac} or \refmodule{posix} and exports the same functions and data
-as found there. The design of all Python's built-in OS dependent
+as found there. The design of all Python's built-in operating system dependent
modules is such that as long as the same functionality is available,
it uses the same interface; for example, the function
\code{os.stat(\var{path})} returns stat information about \var{path} in
the same format (which happens to have originated with the
\POSIX{} interface).
-Extensions peculiar to a particular OS are also available through the
-\module{os} module, but using them is of course a threat to
-portability!
+Extensions peculiar to a particular operating system are also
+available through the \module{os} module, but using them is of course a
+threat to portability!
Note that after the first time \module{os} is imported, there is
\emph{no} performance penalty in using functions from \module{os}
-instead of directly from the OS dependent built-in module, so there
-should be \emph{no} reason not to use \module{os}!
+instead of directly from the operating system dependent built-in module,
+so there should be \emph{no} reason not to use \module{os}!
% Frank Stajano <fstajano@uk.research.att.com> complained that it
\end{excdesc}
\begin{datadesc}{name}
-The name of the OS dependent module imported. The following names
-have currently been registered: \code{'posix'}, \code{'nt'},
+The name of the operating system dependent module imported. The
+following names have currently been registered: \code{'posix'}, \code{'nt'},
\code{'dos'}, \code{'mac'}, \code{'os2'}, \code{'ce'}, \code{'java'}.
\end{datadesc}
\begin{datadesc}{path}
-The corresponding OS dependent standard module for pathname
+The corresponding operating system dependent standard module for pathname
operations, such as \module{posixpath} or \module{macpath}. Thus,
given the proper imports, \code{os.path.split(\var{file})} is
equivalent to but more portable than
Return system configuration information relevant to a named file.
\var{name} specifies the configuration value to retrieve; it may be a
string which is the name of a defined system value; these names are
-specified in a number of standards (\POSIX.1, Unix95, Unix98, and
+specified in a number of standards (\POSIX.1, \UNIX 95, \UNIX 98, and
others). Some platforms define additional names as well. The names
known to the host operating system are given in the
\code{pathconf_names} dictionary. For configuration variables not
\code{st_mtime},
\code{st_ctime}.
More items may be added at the end by some implementations. Note that
-on the Macintosh, the time values are floating point values, like all
-time values on the Macintosh.
-(On MS Windows, some items are filled with dummy values.)
+on the Mac OS, the time values are floating point values, like all
+time values on the Mac OS.
+(On Windows, some items are filled with dummy values.)
Availability: Macintosh, \UNIX{}, Windows.
Note: The standard module \refmodule{stat}\refstmodindex{stat} defines
\begin{funcdesc}{startfile}{path}
Start a file with its associated application. This acts like
double-clicking the file in Windows Explorer, or giving the file name
-as an argument to the DOS \program{start} command: the file is opened
-with whatever application (if any) its extension is associated.
+as an argument to the \program{start} command from the interactive
+command shell: the file is opened with whatever application (if any)
+its extension is associated.
\function{startfile()} returns as soon as the associated application
is launched. There is no option to wait for the application to close,
\end{funcdesc}
\begin{funcdesc}{times}{}
-Return a 5-tuple of floating point numbers indicating accumulated (CPU
-or other)
+Return a 5-tuple of floating point numbers indicating accumulated
+(processor or other)
times, in seconds. The items are: user time, system time, children's
user time, children's system time, and elapsed real time since a fixed
point in the past, in that order. See the \UNIX{} manual page
Return string-valued system configuration values.
\var{name} specifies the configuration value to retrieve; it may be a
string which is the name of a defined system value; these names are
-specified in a number of standards (\POSIX, Unix95, Unix98, and
+specified in a number of standards (\POSIX, \UNIX 95, \UNIX 98, and
others). Some platforms define additional names as well. The names
known to the host operating system are given in the
\code{confstr_names} dictionary. For configuration variables not
\begin{datadesc}{curdir}
-The constant string used by the OS to refer to the current directory.
+The constant string used by the operating system to refer to the current
+directory.
For example: \code{'.'} for \POSIX{} or \code{':'} for the Macintosh.
\end{datadesc}
\begin{datadesc}{pardir}
-The constant string used by the OS to refer to the parent directory.
+The constant string used by the operating system to refer to the parent
+directory.
For example: \code{'..'} for \POSIX{} or \code{'::'} for the Macintosh.
\end{datadesc}
\begin{datadesc}{sep}
-The character used by the OS to separate pathname components,
+The character used by the operating system to separate pathname components,
for example, \character{/} for \POSIX{} or \character{:} for the
Macintosh. Note that knowing this is not sufficient to be able to
parse or concatenate pathnames --- use \function{os.path.split()} and
\end{datadesc}
\begin{datadesc}{altsep}
-An alternative character used by the OS to separate pathname components,
-or \code{None} if only one separator character exists. This is set to
-\character{/} on DOS and Windows systems where \code{sep} is a backslash.
+An alternative character used by the operating system to separate pathname
+components, or \code{None} if only one separator character exists. This is
+set to \character{/} on DOS and Windows systems where \code{sep} is a
+backslash.
\end{datadesc}
\begin{datadesc}{pathsep}
-The character conventionally used by the OS to separate search patch
-components (as in \envvar{PATH}), such as \character{:} for \POSIX{} or
-\character{;} for DOS and Windows.
+The character conventionally used by the operating system to separate
+search patch components (as in \envvar{PATH}), such as \character{:} for
+\POSIX{} or \character{;} for DOS and Windows.
\end{datadesc}
\begin{datadesc}{defpath}
\begin{datadesc}{linesep}
The string used to separate (or, rather, terminate) lines on the
current platform. This may be a single character, such as \code{'\e
-n'} for \POSIX{} or \code{'\e r'} for MacOS, or multiple characters,
-for example, \code{'\e r\e n'} for MS-DOS and MS Windows.
+n'} for \POSIX{} or \code{'\e r'} for the Mac OS, or multiple characters,
+for example, \code{'\e r\e n'} for DOS and Windows.
\end{datadesc}
This module provides access to the
\emph{Panel Library}
-built by NASA Ames\index{NASA} (to get it, send e-mail to
+built by NASA Ames\index{NASA} (to get it, send email to
\code{panel-request@nas.nasa.gov}).
All access to it should be done through the standard module
\code{panel}\refstmodindex{panel},
\end{datadesc}
\begin{datadesc}{RLIMIT_CPU}
- The maximum amount of CPU time (in seconds) that a process can
+ The maximum amount of processor time (in seconds) that a process can
use. If this limit is exceeded, a \constant{SIGXCPU} signal is sent to
the process. (See the \refmodule{signal} module documentation for
information about how to catch this signal and do something useful,
operating system throug the various functions and classes, For
example, a Python program can open any file for reading and writing by
using the \function{open()} built-in function (provided the underlying
-OS gives you permission!). This is exactly what you want for most
-applications.
+operating system gives you permission!). This is exactly what you want
+for most applications.
There exists a class of applications for which this ``openness'' is
-inappropriate. Take Grail: a web browser that accepts ``applets,''
+inappropriate. Take Grail: a Web browser that accepts ``applets,''
snippets of Python code, from anywhere on the Internet for execution
on the local system. This can be used to improve the user interface
of forms, for instance. Since the originator of the code is unknown,
\emph{Note:} The \class{RExec} class can prevent code from performing
unsafe operations like reading or writing disk files, or using TCP/IP
sockets. However, it does not protect against code using extremely
-large amounts of memory or CPU time.
+large amounts of memory or processor time.
\begin{classdesc}{RExec}{\optional{hooks\optional{, verbose}}}
Returns an instance of the \class{RExec} class.
\sectionauthor{Skip Montanaro}{skip@mojam.com}
\index{WWW}
-\index{World-Wide Web}
+\index{World Wide Web}
\index{URL}
\index{robots.txt}
This module provides a single class, \class{RobotFileParser}, which answers
questions about whether or not a particular user agent can fetch a URL on
-the web site that published the \file{robots.txt} file. For more details on
+the Web site that published the \file{robots.txt} file. For more details on
the structure of \file{robots.txt} files, see
\url{http://info.webcrawler.com/mak/projects/robots/norobots.html}.
\section{\module{stdwin} ---
- Platform-independent GUI System}
+ Platform-independent Graphical User Interface System}
\declaremodule{builtin}{stdwin}
-\modulesynopsis{Older GUI system for X11 and Macintosh.}
+\modulesynopsis{Older graphical user interface system for X11 and Macintosh.}
This module defines several new object types and functions that
\end{funcdesc}
\begin{funcdesc}{clock}{}
-Return the current CPU time as a floating point number expressed in
+Return the current processor time as a floating point number expressed in
seconds. The precision, and in fact the very definition of the meaning
-of ``CPU time''\index{CPU time}, depends on that of the C function
-of the same name, but in any case, this is the function to use for
-benchmarking\index{benchmarking} Python or timing algorithms.
+of ``processor time''\index{CPU time}\index{processor time}, depends on
+that of the C function of the same name, but in any case, this is the
+function to use for benchmarking\index{benchmarking} Python or timing
+algorithms.
\end{funcdesc}
\begin{funcdesc}{ctime}{\optional{secs}}
The following methods of the \class{TestResult} class are used to
maintain the internal data structures, and mmay be extended in
subclasses to support additional reporting requirements. This is
-particularly useful in building GUI tools which support interactive
+particularly useful in building tools which support interactive
reporting while tests are being run.
\begin{methoddesc}[TestResult]{startTest}{test}
\class{TestRunner} object return to its caller without running any
additional tests. This is used by the \class{TextTestRunner} class
to stop the test framework when the user signals an interrupt from
- the keyboard. GUI tools which provide runners can use this in a
- similar manner.
+ the keyboard. Interactive tools which provide runners can use this
+ in a similar manner.
\end{methoddesc}
\modulesynopsis{Open an arbitrary network resource by URL (requires sockets).}
\index{WWW}
-\index{World-Wide Web}
+\index{World Wide Web}
\index{URL}
This module provides a high-level interface for fetching data across
-the World-Wide Web. In particular, the \function{urlopen()} function
+the World Wide Web. In particular, the \function{urlopen()} function
is similar to the built-in function \function{open()}, but accepts
Universal Resource Locators (URLs) instead of filenames. Some
restrictions apply --- it can only open URLs for reading, and no seek
The \function{urlopen()} and \function{urlretrieve()} functions can
cause arbitrarily long delays while waiting for a network connection
to be set up. This means that it is difficult to build an interactive
-web client using these functions without using threads.
+Web client using these functions without using threads.
\item
The data returned by \function{urlopen()} or \function{urlretrieve()}
\modulesynopsis{Parse URLs into components.}
\index{WWW}
-\index{World-Wide Web}
+\index{World Wide Web}
\index{URL}
\indexii{URL}{parsing}
\indexii{relative}{URL}
\begin{seealso}
\seetitle[http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml-names/]{Namespaces in XML}{
- This World-Wide Web Consortium recommendation describes the
+ This World Wide Web Consortium recommendation describes the
proper syntax and processing requirements for namespaces in
XML.}
\end{seealso}
projects / thirdparty / Python / cpython.git / commitdiff
