[Python-Dev] timeout options in high-level networking modules

[Jim Fulton]

Yesterday, I needed to make a web request in a program (actually a test)
that could block indefinately, so I needed to set a socket timeout.
Unfortunately, AFAICT none of urllib, urllib2, httplib provide options to set
the timeout on the sockets they use.  I ended up having to roll my own
code to make the request.

It would be nice if high-level network modules, like the ones mentioned
above, had options to provide a timeout.  (For example, urlopen could
grow an optional timout argument.)

Thoughts?

If we think this is a good idea, then someone who has time could start chipping
away at it.  I'm happy to work on this *if* I can find time.  This would make
a nice easy sprint project at PyCon too.

Jim

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