[Tutor] Is an executable available?

[Stuart Murdock]

Hi

I am working from within python and want to know the best way to know if 
a certain package is installed for use on my machine.

I want to know from within python that a specific executable file is on 
my path where I could actually run the command from a prompt in a system 
shell.

I don't want to restrict exacltly where the file is and I don't want to 
do a general try catch.

Are there any simple one or two liners that anyone is aware of?

Thanks

Stuart



-- 

Stuart Murdock Ph.D,
Research Fellow,
Dept. of Chemistry / E-Science,
University of Southampton,
Highfield, Southampton,
SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
 
http://www.biosimgrid.org