# File: quopri-example-1.py

import quopri
import StringIO

# helpers (the quopri module only supports file-to-file conversion)

def encodestring(instring, tabs=0):
    outfile = StringIO.StringIO()
    quopri.encode(StringIO.StringIO(instring), outfile, tabs)
    return outfile.getvalue()

def decodestring(instring):
    outfile = StringIO.StringIO()
    quopri.decode(StringIO.StringIO(instring), outfile)
    return outfile.getvalue()

#
# try it out

MESSAGE = "å i åa ä e ö!"

encoded_message = encodestring(MESSAGE)
decoded_message = decodestring(encoded_message)

print "original:", MESSAGE
print "encoded message:", repr(encoded_message)
print "decoded message:", decoded_message

## original: å i åa ä e ö!
## encoded message: '=E5 i =E5a =E4 e =F6!\012'
## decoded message: å i åa ä e ö!