symbian-qemu-0.9.1-12/python-2.6.1/Doc/library/dbm.rst
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+:mod:`dbm` --- Simple "database" interface
+==========================================
+
+.. module:: dbm
+   :platform: Unix
+   :synopsis: The standard "database" interface, based on ndbm.
+
+.. note::
+   The :mod:`dbm` module has been renamed to :mod:`dbm.ndbm` in Python 3.0.  The
+   :term:`2to3` tool will automatically adapt imports when converting your
+   sources to 3.0.
+
+
+The :mod:`dbm` module provides an interface to the Unix "(n)dbm" library.  Dbm
+objects behave like mappings (dictionaries), except that keys and values are
+always strings. Printing a dbm object doesn't print the keys and values, and the
+:meth:`items` and :meth:`values` methods are not supported.
+
+This module can be used with the "classic" ndbm interface, the BSD DB
+compatibility interface, or the GNU GDBM compatibility interface. On Unix, the
+:program:`configure` script will attempt to locate the appropriate header file
+to simplify building this module.
+
+The module defines the following:
+
+
+.. exception:: error
+
+   Raised on dbm-specific errors, such as I/O errors. :exc:`KeyError` is raised for
+   general mapping errors like specifying an incorrect key.
+
+
+.. data:: library
+
+   Name of the ``ndbm`` implementation library used.
+
+
+.. function:: open(filename[, flag[, mode]])
+
+   Open a dbm database and return a dbm object.  The *filename* argument is the
+   name of the database file (without the :file:`.dir` or :file:`.pag` extensions;
+   note that the BSD DB implementation of the interface will append the extension
+   :file:`.db` and only create one file).
+
+   The optional *flag* argument must be one of these values:
+
+   +---------+-------------------------------------------+
+   | Value   | Meaning                                   |
+   +=========+===========================================+
+   | ``'r'`` | Open existing database for reading only   |
+   |         | (default)                                 |
+   +---------+-------------------------------------------+
+   | ``'w'`` | Open existing database for reading and    |
+   |         | writing                                   |
+   +---------+-------------------------------------------+
+   | ``'c'`` | Open database for reading and writing,    |
+   |         | creating it if it doesn't exist           |
+   +---------+-------------------------------------------+
+   | ``'n'`` | Always create a new, empty database, open |
+   |         | for reading and writing                   |
+   +---------+-------------------------------------------+
+
+   The optional *mode* argument is the Unix mode of the file, used only when the
+   database has to be created.  It defaults to octal ``0666`` (and will be
+   modified by the prevailing umask).
+
+
+.. seealso::
+
+   Module :mod:`anydbm`
+      Generic interface to ``dbm``\ -style databases.
+
+   Module :mod:`gdbm`
+      Similar interface to the GNU GDBM library.
+
+   Module :mod:`whichdb`
+      Utility module used to determine the type of an existing database.
+