[Tutor] following the chain

[Roel Schroeven]

Servando Garcia wrote:

> Thanks to the many hints from the list I have made it to level four, of 
> the python challenges.  Many thanks to all.
> I truly have been looking for a solid example to follow on the use of 
> the URL module.  I don't feel  am using it correctly or I am not 
> understanding/using the clue correctly.
> Here is how I have been trying to use urlopen()
> 
> import urllib
> name="some URL"
> X = urllib.urlopen(name)
> print X
> 
> 
> the output of X in very strange to me. I have include the exact output: 
>   <addinfourl at 585200 whose fp = <socket._fileobject object at 
> 0x91068>>
> Have I used the urlopen() correctly?
> What is the meaning of the output?

The return value of urlopen is not a string, but a file-like object. You 
can use it like you would use a file you opened using file() or open(). 
To get the contents of the page, you can do:

X = urllib.urlopen(name).read()

That will load the whole page into memory as a string.

-- 
If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood
on the shoulders of giants.  -- Isaac Newton

Roel Schroeven