When reading multiple configuration files, ConfigParser overwrites previous files, why?

Question

So I wanted to start by saying that I was looking for SO to answer this question and could not find anything useful. I also looked through Python docs and couldn't find anything useful. My last question was slightly lazy and received a negative review, so I do my best to ask a simple and clear question. As always, in advance for your help!

So, can someone explain this strange behavior that I am experiencing with Python ConfigParser. I have two different configuration files, each of which has Section 1. These two files have a different number of options, but one with fewer parameters is overwritten. Here is the code and output:

First configuration file: test1.ini

[Section 1]
Option 1 : One
Option 2 : Two
Option 3 : None
Option 4 : Four

Second configuration file: test2.ini

[Section 1]
Option 1 : One
Option 2 : None
Option 3 : Three

A driver that reads configuration files

from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser

parser = SafeConfigParser()

def ParseThis(file, section):
    parser.read(file)

    for option in parser.options(section):
        print "\t" + option
        try:
            if parser.get(section, option) != 'None':
                print option + ": " + parser.get(section, option)
            else:
                print option + ": Option doesn't exist"
        except:
            print option + ": Something went wrong"

print "First File:"
print "Section 1"
ParseThis('test2.ini', 'Section 1')


print "\n"
print "Second File: "
print "Section 1"
ParseThis('test1.ini', 'Section 1')

print "\n"
print "First File: "
print "Section 1"
ParseThis('test2.ini', 'Section 1')

And here is the result that I get that does not make sense.

First File:
Section 1
    option 1
option 1: One
    option 2
option 2: Option doesn't exist
    option 3
option 3: Three


Second File: 
Section 1
    option 1
option 1: One
    option 2
option 2: Two
    option 3
option 3: Option doesn't exist
    option 4
option 4: Four


First File: 
Section 1
    option 1
option 1: One
    option 2
option 2: Option doesn't exist
    option 3
option 3: Three

Answer 1

A single ConfigParser instance is intended to represent a single configuration that can be obtained from multiple files in a "priority order", so subsequent files override earlier ones. The documentation does not make this completely clear, but says:

This is intended to indicate a list of possible locations of the configuration file (for example, the current directory, users home directory and some system-wide directory), and all existing configuration files in the list will be read.

, , , , SafeConfigParser . parser = SafeConfigParser() .