Format a number as currency! I can't find any help on this simple problem.

[Richard Kessler]

I am relatively new to Python.  Love it, but I find things that I can do 
easily in .NET and cannot find a way to do in Python. I need to format a 
number as currency, for example 12343.56 to $12,343.56.

In C# all I need to do is decimal x = 12343.56 then x.ToString("$###,###.00");

I cannot find a way to do this in Python. I must be missing something very 
simple here. I have tried the locale module but it will not put in the commas. 
I hope I do not have to write my own formatting routine...surely one is out 
there and I just can't find it.

Running on XP Pro. Python 2.4.3.

Thanks much in advance,

Richard