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(python2.1-lib.info)urllib2


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extensible library for opening URLs
===================================

This module was written by Jeremy Hylton
<jhylton@users.sourceforge.net>.
This manual section was written by Moshe Zadka
<moshez@users.sourceforge.net>.
An extensible library for opening URLs using a variety of  protocols

The `urllib2' module defines functions and classes which help in
opening URLs (mostly HTTP) in a complex world -- basic and digest
authentication, redirections and more.

The `urllib2' module defines the following functions:

`urlopen(url[, data])'
     Open the url URL, which can either a string or a `Request' object
     (currently the code checks that it really is a `Request' instance,
     or an instance of a subclass of `Request').

     DATA should be a string, which specifies additional data to send
     to the server. In HTTP requests, which are the only ones that
     support DATA, it should be a buffer in the format of
     `application/x-www-form-urlencoded', for example one returned from
     `urllib.urlencode()'.

     This function returns a file-like object with two additional
     methods:

        * `geturl()' -- return the URL of the resource retrieved

        * `info()' -- return the meta-information of the page, as a
          dictionary-like object

     Raises `URLError' on errors.

`install_opener(opener)'
     Install a `OpenerDirector' instance as the default opener.  The
     code does not check for a real `OpenerDirector', and any class
     with the appropriate interface will work.

`build_opener([handler, ...])'
     Return an `OpenerDirector' instance, which chains the handlers in
     the order given. HANDLERs can be either instances of
     `BaseHandler', or subclasses of `BaseHandler' (in which case it
     must be possible to call the constructor without any parameters.
     Instances of the following classes will be in the front of the
     HANDLERs, unless the HANDLERs contain them, instances of them or
     subclasses of them:

     `ProxyHandler, UnknownHandler, HTTPHandler,
     HTTPDefaultErrorHandler,  HTTPRedirectHandler, FTPHandler,
     FileHandler'

     If the Python installation has SSL support (`socket.ssl()'
     exists), `HTTPSHandler' will also be added.

The following exceptions are raised as appropriate:

`URLError'
     The error handlers raise when they run into a problem. It is a
     subclass of `IOError'.

`HTTPError'
     A subclass of `URLError', it can also function as a
     non-exceptional file-like return value (the same thing that
     `urlopen()' returns).  This is useful when handling exotic HTTP
     errors, such as requests for authentication.

`GopherError'
     A subclass of `URLError', this is the error raised by the Gopher
     handler.

The following classes are provided:

`Request(url[, data[, headers]])'
     This class is an abstraction of a URL request.

     URL should be a string which is a valid URL. For descrtion of DATA
     see the `add_data()' description.  HEADERS should be a dictionary,
     and will be treated as if `add_header()' was called with each key
     and value as arguments.

`OpenerDirector()'
     The `OpenerDirector' class opens URLs via `BaseHandler's chained
     together. It manages the chaining of handlers, and recovery from
     errors.

`BaseHandler()'
     This is the base class for all registered handlers -- and handles
     only the simple mechanics of registration.

`HTTPDefaultErrorHandler()'
     A class which defines a default handler for HTTP error responses;
     all responses are turned into `HTTPError' exceptions.

`HTTPRedirectHandler()'
     A class to handle redirections.

`ProxyHandler([proxies])'
     Cause requests to go through a proxy.  If PROXIES is given, it
     must be a dictionary mapping protocol names to URLs of proxies.
     The default is to read the list of proxies from the environment
     variables `PROTOCOL_proxy'.

`HTTPPasswordMgr()'
     Keep a database of `(REALM, URI) -> (USER, PASSWORD)' mappings.

`HTTPPasswordMgrWithDefaultRealm()'
     Keep a database of `(REALM, URI) -> (USER, PASSWORD)' mappings.  A
     realm of `None' is considered a catch-all realm, which is searched
     if no other realm fits.

`AbstractBasicAuthHandler([password_mgr])'
     This is a mixin class that helps with HTTP authentication, both to
     the remote host and to a proxy.

     PASSWORD_MGR should be something that is compatible with
     `HTTPPasswordMgr' -- supplies the documented interface above.

`HTTPBasicAuthHandler([password_mgr])'
     Handle authentication with the remote host.  Valid PASSWORD_MGR,
     if given, are the same as for `AbstractBasicAuthHandler'.

`ProxyBasicAuthHandler([password_mgr])'
     Handle authentication with the proxy.  Valid PASSWORD_MGR, if
     given, are the same as for `AbstractBasicAuthHandler'.

`AbstractDigestAuthHandler([password_mgr])'
     This is a mixin class, that helps with HTTP authentication, both
     to the remote host and to a proxy.

     PASSWORD_MGR should be something that is compatible with
     `HTTPPasswordMgr' -- supplies the documented interface above.

`HTTPDigestAuthHandler([password_mgr])'
     Handle authentication with the remote host.  Valid PASSWORD_MGR,
     if given, are the same as for `AbstractBasicAuthHandler'.

`ProxyDigestAuthHandler([password_mgr])'
     Handle authentication with the proxy.  PASSWORD_MGR, if given,
     shoudl be the same as for the constructor of
     `AbstractDigestAuthHandler'.

`HTTPHandler()'
     A class to handle opening of HTTP URLs.

`HTTPSHandler()'
     A class to handle opening of HTTPS URLs.

`FileHandler()'
     Open local files.

`FTPHandler()'
     Open FTP URLs.

`CacheFTPHandler()'
     Open FTP URLs, keeping a cache of open FTP connections to minimize
     delays.

`GopherHandler()'
     Open gopher URLs.

`UnknownHandler()'
     A catch-all class to handle unknown URLs.

Request Objects
OpenerDirector Objects
BaseHandler Objects
HTTPRedirectHandler Objects
ProxyHandler Objects
HTTPPasswordMgr Objects
AbstractBasicAuthHandler Objects
HTTPBasicAuthHandler Objects
ProxyBasicAuthHandler Objects
AbstractDigestAuthHandler Objects
HTTPDigestAuthHandler Objects
ProxyDigestAuthHandler Objects
HTTPHandler Objects
HTTPSHandler Objects
FileHandler Objects
FTPHandler Objects
CacheFTPHandler Objects
GopherHandler Objects
UnknownHandler Objects

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