What's the official way of storing settings for python programs?

Question

Django uses real Python files for settings, Trac uses a .ini file, and some other pieces of software uses XML files to hold this information.

Are one of these approa

Answer 1

Not an official one but this way works well for all my Python projects.

pip install python-settings

Docs here: https://github.com/charlsagente/python-settings

You need a settings.py file with all your defined constants like:

# settings.py

DATABASE_HOST = '10.0.0.1'

Then you need to either set an env variable (export SETTINGS_MODULE=settings) or manually calling the configure method:

# something_else.py

from python_settings import settings
from . import settings as my_local_settings

settings.configure(my_local_settings) # configure() receives a python module

The utility also supports Lazy initialization for heavy to load objects, so when you run your python project it loads faster since it only evaluates the settings variable when its needed

# settings.py

from python_settings import LazySetting
from my_awesome_library import HeavyInitializationClass # Heavy to initialize object

LAZY_INITIALIZATION = LazySetting(HeavyInitializationClass, "127.0.0.1:4222") 
# LazySetting(Class, *args, **kwargs)

Just configure once and now call your variables where is needed:

# my_awesome_file.py

from python_settings import settings 

print(settings.DATABASE_HOST) # Will print '10.0.0.1'