configparser2

What it is and what it does

configparser2 is a backport of Python 3's configparser module designed to run on Python 2.6 through 3.5. It provides a unified INI-file parsing interface across multiple Python versions, with a different import name to avoid conflicts with the built-in configparser in Python 3. The package includes modern features like mapping protocol access (dict-like bracket notation), customizable interpolation syntax (BasicInterpolation and ExtendedInterpolation), fallback values in getters, and the ability to read configuration from strings or dictionaries.

The package has no runtime dependencies. It is intended for projects that need to support both Python 2 and early Python 3 versions simultaneously. However, it has been abandoned since 2015 and targets Python versions that are themselves no longer supported; modern Python includes configparser in the standard library, making this package obsolete for new projects.

Use it for:

• Parsing INI configuration files in legacy Python 2.6–3.5 codebases that need a modern configparser interface.
• Migrating a Python 2 project to Python 3 while maintaining backward compatibility during a transition period.
• Reading configuration from strings or dictionaries in projects constrained to older Python versions.
• Using advanced interpolation syntax (ExtendedInterpolation) in Python 2 code that would otherwise require custom parsing.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Backport of Python 3's configparser module to Python 2.6–3.5, allowing unified INI-file parsing across versions without naming conflicts with the built-in standard library.

No. This package is abandoned (no releases since 2015) and targets Python versions that are themselves out of support. Modern Python includes configparser in the standard library. Install only if you are maintaining legacy code on Python 2.6–3.5 and cannot upgrade; for any new project, use the built-in configparser instead.

Install

configparser2 on PyPI

pip install configparser2

uv add configparser2

poetry add configparser2

Installing configparser2

Before you install

High install friction: package has been abandoned since 2015 and targets Python versions (2.6–3.5) that are themselves long out of support. No runtime dependencies, but the lack of maintenance and obsolete target versions make this a legacy-only choice.

License in practice

MIT license (permissive) places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution, making licensing a non-issue for adoption.

Quickstart

pip install configparser2

import configparser2
parser = configparser2.ConfigParser()
parser.read_string('[section]\nkey = value')
print(parser['section']['key'])

Python 2.6–3.5 only; the package is not maintained and will not work on modern Python versions (3.6+). Modern Python includes configparser in the standard library.

Verify before relying

• Whether configparser2 actually works on Python 3.2–3.5 in practice, given the 2015 abandonment date and lack of CI/testing signals.
• Whether the backport includes all fixes and features from Python 3.5's configparser or only a subset.
• Compatibility with PyPy beyond the mention of a fix in the changelog.

Package facts

Evidence: configparser2-4.0.0.tar.gz

Keywords: configparser, configparser2, ini, parsing, conf, cfg, configuration, file

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