example.py

import os

from tini import Tini

filenames = [
    './intervention.ini',
    os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.intervention.ini'),
    os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.config', '.intervention.ini'),
]

defaults = {
    'intervention': {
        'message': 'Am I being intentional?',
        'background-color': '#293776'
    }
}

parser = Tini(filenames, defaults=defaults)
settings = parser.items()

tini.py

import configparser
import re

from collections import defaultdict
from distutils import util


def coerce_value(value):
    """
    Try coercing values to numbers or booleans.
    """
    if not isinstance(value, str):
        return value

    if re.match(r'^[0-9]+$', value):
        return int(value)

    if re.match(r'^[.0-9]+$', value):
        try:
            return float(value)
        except ValueError:
            return value

    if re.match(r'^(true|false|yes|no)$', value, flags=re.IGNORECASE):
        return bool(util.strtobool(value))

    return value


class SimpleInterpolation(configparser.Interpolation):
    """
    Strip quotes from strings.
    """
    def before_read(self, parser, section, option, value):
        if not isinstance(value, str):
            return value

        coerced_value = coerce_value(value)

        if isinstance(coerced_value, str):
            return coerced_value.strip('"\'')

        return coerced_value


class SimpleConfigParser(configparser.ConfigParser):
    u"""
    A ConfigParser that:

    - strips quotes from strings ('"value"' becomes 'value')
    - doesn't transform option strings ('OPTION' remains upper-case)
    - doesn't support weird '%' interpolation
    - allows empty values ('value =' is ok)
    - coerces numbers and booleans ('true' → True)
    """

    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        kwargs.update({
            'interpolation': SimpleInterpolation(),
            'allow_no_value': True
        })

        super(SimpleConfigParser, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)

    def optionxform(self, option_string):
        return option_string


class Tini(object):
    """
    Easily parse simple ini files.
    """
    def __init__(self, filenames, defaults=None):
        if isinstance(filenames, str):
            filenames = [filenames]

        self.defaults = defaultdict(dict, **(defaults if defaults else {}))

        self.parser = SimpleConfigParser()
        self.parser.read(filenames)

    # We do this here instead of in SimpleConfigParser because we want to
    # support defaults that pertain to a specific section.
    def items(self):
        return {
            section: dict(self.defaults[section], **dict(**values))
            for section, values in dict(self.parser._sections).items()
        }