IPy - class and tools for handling of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and networks.

Presentation of the API
=======================

The IP class allows a comfortable parsing and handling for most
notations in use for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and networks. It was
greatly inspired by RIPE's Perl module NET::IP's interface but
doesn't share the implementation. It doesn't share non-CIDR netmasks,
so funky stuff like a netmask of 0xffffff0f can't be done here.

    >>> from IPy import IP
    >>> ip = IP('127.0.0.0/30')
    >>> for x in ip:
    ...  print x
    ...
    127.0.0.0
    127.0.0.1
    127.0.0.2
    127.0.0.3
    >>> ip2 = IP('0x7f000000/30')
    >>> ip == ip2
    1
    >>> ip.reverseNames()
    ['0.0.0.127.in-addr.arpa.', '1.0.0.127.in-addr.arpa.', '2.0.0.127.in-addr.arpa.', '3.0.0.127.in-addr.arpa.']
    >>> ip.reverseName()
    '0-3.0.0.127.in-addr.arpa.'
    >>> ip.iptype()
    'PRIVATE'


Supports most IP address formats
================================

It can detect about a dozen different ways of expressing IP addresses
and networks, parse them and distinguish between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses:

    >>> IP('10.0.0.0/8').version()
    4
    >>> IP('::1').version()
    6

IPv4 addresses
--------------

    >>> print IP(0x7f000001)
    127.0.0.1
    >>> print IP('0x7f000001')
    127.0.0.1
    >>> print IP('127.0.0.1')
    127.0.0.1
    >>> print IP('10')
    10.0.0.0

IPv6 addresses
--------------

    >>> print IP('1080:0:0:0:8:800:200C:417A')
    1080::8:800:200c:417a
    >>> print IP('1080::8:800:200C:417A')
    1080::8:800:200c:417a
    >>> print IP('::1')
    ::1
    >>> print IP('::13.1.68.3')
    ::d01:4403

Network mask and prefixes
-------------------------

    >>> print IP('127.0.0.0/8')
    127.0.0.0/8
    >>> print IP('127.0.0.0/255.0.0.0')
    127.0.0.0/8
    >>> print IP('127.0.0.0-127.255.255.255')
    127.0.0.0/8


Derive network address
===========================

IPy can transform an IP address into a network address by applying the given
netmask:
>>> print IP('127.0.0.1/255.0.0.0', make_net=True)
127.0.0.0/8

This can also be done for existing IP instances:
>>> print IP('127.0.0.1').make_net('255.0.0.0')
127.0.0.0/8


Convert address to string
=========================

Nearly all class methods which return a string have an optional
parameter 'wantprefixlen' which controls if the prefixlen or netmask
is printed. Per default the prefilen is always shown if the network
contains more than one address::

    wantprefixlen == 0 / None     don't return anything   1.2.3.0
    wantprefixlen == 1            /prefix                 1.2.3.0/24
    wantprefixlen == 2            /netmask                1.2.3.0/255.255.255.0
    wantprefixlen == 3            -lastip                 1.2.3.0-1.2.3.255

You can also change the defaults on an per-object basis by fiddling with
the class members:

 * NoPrefixForSingleIp
 * WantPrefixLen

Examples of string conversions:

    >>> IP('10.0.0.0/32').strNormal()
    '10.0.0.0'
    >>> IP('10.0.0.0/24').strNormal()
    '10.0.0.0/24'
    >>> IP('10.0.0.0/24').strNormal(0)
    '10.0.0.0'
    >>> IP('10.0.0.0/24').strNormal(1)
    '10.0.0.0/24'
    >>> IP('10.0.0.0/24').strNormal(2)
    '10.0.0.0/255.255.255.0'
    >>> IP('10.0.0.0/24').strNormal(3)
    '10.0.0.0-10.0.0.255'
    >>> ip = IP('10.0.0.0')
    >>> print ip
    10.0.0.0
    >>> ip.NoPrefixForSingleIp = None
    >>> print ip
    10.0.0.0/32
    >>> ip.WantPrefixLen = 3
    >>> print ip
    10.0.0.0-10.0.0.0


Compatibility and links
=======================

IPy 0.60 works on Python version 2.4 and 2.5.

This Python module is under BSD license: see COPYING file.

Further Information might be available at:
http://software.inl.fr/trac/trac.cgi/wiki/IPy


TODO
====

 * better comparison (__cmp__ and friends)
 * tests for __cmp__
 * always write hex values lowercase
 * interpret 2001:1234:5678:1234/64 as 2001:1234:5678:1234::/64
 * move size in bits into class variables to get rid of
   some "if self._ipversion ..."
 * support for base85 encoding
 * support for output of IPv6 encoded IPv4 Addresses
 * update address type tables
 * first-last notation should be allowed for IPv6
 * add IPv6 docstring examples
 * check better for negative parameters
 * add addition / aggregation
 * move reverse name stuff out of the classes and refactor it
 * support for aggregation of more than two nets at once
 * support for aggregation with "holes"
 * support for finding common prefix
 * '>>' and '<<' for prefix manipulation
 * add our own exceptions instead ValueError all the time
 * rename checkPrefix to checkPrefixOk
 * add more documentation and doctests
 * refactor