fixpath.py is a script to clean up a path

fixpath.py

#! /usr/bin/env python

# returns a path with some special front/back values and dups removed

import os
import sys

def getenv(name):
    try:
        return os.environ[name].split(':')
    except KeyError:
        return []

front=getenv('PATH_FIRST')
path =getenv('PATH')
back =getenv('PATH_LAST')

mypath = []
def additems(bucket):
    for i in bucket:
        if i not in mypath:
            mypath.append(i)

additems(front)
additems(path)
additems(back)

sys.stdout.write(':'.join(mypath))