Checking Python version in a program

[Preston Landers]

 Hey all,

My program Pagecast (http://pagecast.sourceforge.net) requires some
library (not language) features of Python 1.5.2.

I would like to put a semi-intelligent Python version check in the
program to give the users a meaningful error message.

What I've got so far is this:

import sys, string

required_python_version = "1.5.2"

actual_python_version = string.split(sys.version)[0]

if actual_python_version != required_python_version:
    sys.stderr.write("Sorry, Pagecast requires Python %s!\nYou seem to
have version %s.\nPlease upgrade Python (www.python.org) before running
Pagecast." % (required_python_version, actual_python_version))

However, this has the drawback that the program doesn't want to run with
the upcoming Python 1.6 (even if it is compatible.)

Does anyone have a more intelligent way to check Python versions from
within a program?  I guess I could hack up something that parses the
version string further.  I wish it were as simple as

if int(version) < int(required_version): spew()

but the 1.5.x scheme doesn't mesh well with that...


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|| Preston Landers <prestonlanders at my-deja.com> ||


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