python equivalent of java OutputStream?
abstraction, python
Solution
"Abstracting away what type it is" happens automatically in Python - it's called 'duck typing'. Just pass any file-like object to the function, and have it use the interface of file-like objects.
FWIW, the standard input/output/error streams are represented by `stdin`, `stdout` and `stderr` in the `sys` module. To get file-like objects that read and write strings, use the `StringIO` module.
Problem
Is there a Python equivalent / pseudo-equivalent to java's OutputStream or PrintWriter? I want to be able to have a handle that represents either a stream like stdout/sterr, or a file, or something else (a pipe or a socket or a dummy sink) and abstract away what kind of thing it is, so I can just send output to it. How can I do this?