Can I redirect the stdout in python into some sort of string buffer?

Question

I\'m using python\'s ftplib to write a small FTP client, but some of the functions in the package don\'t return string output, but print to stdout.

Answer 1

This method restores sys.stdout even if there's an exception. It also gets any output before the exception.

import io
import sys

real_stdout = sys.stdout
fake_stdout = io.BytesIO()   # or perhaps io.StringIO()
try:
    sys.stdout = fake_stdout
    # do what you have to do to create some output
finally:
    sys.stdout = real_stdout
    output_string = fake_stdout.getvalue()
    fake_stdout.close()
    # do what you want with the output_string

Tested in Python 2.7.10 using io.BytesIO()

Tested in Python 3.6.4 using io.StringIO()

---

Bob, added for a case if you feel anything from the modified / extended code experimentation might get interesting in any sense, otherwise feel free to delete it

^{Ad informandum ... a few remarks from extended experimentation during finding some viable mechanics to "grab" outputs, directed by numexpr.print_versions() directly to the ( upon a need to clean GUI and collecting details into debugging-report )}

# THIS WORKS AS HELL: as Bob Stein proposed years ago:
#  py2 SURPRISEDaBIT:
#
import io
import sys
#
real_stdout = sys.stdout                        #           PUSH  ( store to REAL_ )
fake_stdout = io.BytesIO()                      #           .DEF FAKE_
try:                                            # FUSED .TRY:
    sys.stdout.flush()                          #           .flush() before
    sys.stdout = fake_stdout                    #           .SET  to use FAKE_
    # ----------------------------------------- #           +    do what you gotta do to create some output
    print 123456789                             #           + 
    import  numexpr                             #           + 
    QuantFX.numexpr.__version__                 #           + [3] via fake_stdout re-assignment, as was bufferred + "late" deferred .get_value()-read into print, to finally reach -> real_stdout
    QuantFX.numexpr.print_versions()            #           + [4] via fake_stdout re-assignment, as was bufferred + "late" deferred .get_value()-read into print, to finally reach -> real_stdout
    _ = os.system( 'echo os.system() redir-ed' )#           + [1] via real_stdout                                 + "late" deferred .get_value()-read into print, to finally reach -> real_stdout, if not ( _ = )-caught from RET-d "byteswritten" / avoided from being injected int fake_stdout
    _ = os.write(  sys.stderr.fileno(),         #           + [2] via      stderr                                 + "late" deferred .get_value()-read into print, to finally reach -> real_stdout, if not ( _ = )-caught from RET-d "byteswritten" / avoided from being injected int fake_stdout
                       b'os.write()  redir-ed' )#  *OTHERWISE, if via fake_stdout, EXC <_io.BytesIO object at 0x02C0BB10> Traceback (most recent call last):
    # ----------------------------------------- #           ?                              io.UnsupportedOperation: fileno
    #'''                                                    ? YET:        <_io.BytesIO object at 0x02C0BB10> has a .fileno() method listed
    #>>> 'fileno' in dir( sys.stdout )       -> True        ? HAS IT ADVERTISED,
    #>>> pass;            sys.stdout.fileno  -> 
    #>>> pass;            sys.stdout.fileno()-> Traceback (most recent call last):
    #                                             File "", line 1, in 
    #                                           io.UnsupportedOperation: fileno
    #                                                       ? BUT REFUSES TO USE IT
    #'''
finally:                                        # == FINALLY:
    sys.stdout.flush()                          #           .flush() before ret'd back REAL_
    sys.stdout = real_stdout                    #           .SET  to use POP'd REAL_
    sys.stdout.flush()                          #           .flush() after  ret'd back REAL_
    out_string = fake_stdout.getvalue()         #           .GET string           from FAKE_
    fake_stdout.close()                         #                .close()
    # +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++     # do what you want with the out_string
    #
    print "\n{0:}\n{1:}{0:}".format( 60 * "/\\",# "LATE" deferred print the out_string at the very end reached -> real_stdout
                                     out_string #                   
                                     )
'''
PASS'd:::::
...
os.system() redir-ed
os.write()  redir-ed
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
123456789
'2.5'
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Numexpr version:   2.5
NumPy version:     1.10.4
Python version:    2.7.13 |Anaconda 4.0.0 (32-bit)| (default, May 11 2017, 14:07:41) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)]
AMD/Intel CPU?     True
VML available?     True
VML/MKL version:   Intel(R) Math Kernel Library Version 11.3.1 Product Build 20151021 for 32-bit applications
Number of threads used by default: 4 (out of 4 detected cores)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
>>>

EXC'd :::::
...
os.system() redir-ed
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
123456789
'2.5'
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Numexpr version:   2.5
NumPy version:     1.10.4
Python version:    2.7.13 |Anaconda 4.0.0 (32-bit)| (default, May 11 2017, 14:07:41) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)]
AMD/Intel CPU?     True
VML available?     True
VML/MKL version:   Intel(R) Math Kernel Library Version 11.3.1 Product Build 20151021 for 32-bit applications
Number of threads used by default: 4 (out of 4 detected cores)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "", line 9, in 
io.UnsupportedOperation: fileno
'''