How to differentiate timeout error and other `URLError`s in Python?

Question

How to differentiate timeout error and other URLErrors in Python?

EDIT

When I catch a URLError, it can be Temporary failure in name resolution or timeout, or some other error? How can I tell one from another?

Answer 1

I use code like Option 2, below... but for a comprehensive answer, look at Michael Foord's urllib2 page

If you use either option 1 or option 2 below, you can add as much intelligence and branching as you like in the except clauses by looking at e.code or e.reason

Option 1:

from urllib2 import Request, urlopen, URLError, HTTPError
req = Request(someurl)
try:
    response = urlopen(req)
except HTTPError, e:
    print 'The server couldn\'t fulfill the request.'
    print 'Error code: ', e.code
except URLError, e:
    print 'We failed to reach a server.'
    print 'Reason: ', e.reason
else:
    # everything is fine

Option 2:

from urllib import urlencode
from urllib2 import Request
# insert other code here...
    error = False
    error_code = ""
    try:
        if method.upper()=="GET":
            response = urlopen(req)
        elif method.upper()=="POST":
            response = urlopen(req,data)
    except IOError, e:
        if hasattr(e, 'reason'):
            #print 'We failed to reach a server.'
            #print 'Reason: ', e.reason
            error = True
            error_code = e.reason
        elif hasattr(e, 'code'):
            #print 'The server couldn\'t fulfill the request.'
            #print 'Error code: ', e.code
            error = True
            error_code = e.code
    else:
        # info is dictionary of server parameters, such as 'content-type', etc...
        info = response.info().dict
        page = response.read()