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+:mod:`mozprocess` --- Launch and manage processes
+=================================================
+
+Mozprocess is a process-handling module that provides some additional
+features beyond those available with python's subprocess:
+
+* better handling of child processes, especially on Windows
+* the ability to timeout the process after some absolute period, or some
+  period without any data written to stdout/stderr
+* the ability to specify output handlers that will be called
+  for each line of output produced by the process
+* the ability to specify handlers that will be called on process timeout
+  and normal process termination
+
+Running a process
+-----------------
+
+mozprocess consists of two classes: ProcessHandler inherits from ProcessHandlerMixin.
+
+Let's see how to run a process.
+First, the class should be instanciated with at least one argument which is a command (or a list formed by the command followed by its arguments).
+Then the process can be launched using the *run()* method.
+Finally the *wait()* method will wait until end of execution.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    from mozprocess import processhandler
+
+    # under Windows replace by command = ['dir', '/a']
+    command = ['ls', '-l']
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command)
+    print("execute command: %s" % p.commandline)
+    p.run()
+    p.wait()
+
+Note that using *ProcessHandler* instead of *ProcessHandlerMixin* will print the output of executed command. The attribute *commandline* provides the launched command.
+
+Collecting process output
+-------------------------
+
+Let's now consider a basic shell script that will print numbers from 1 to 5 waiting 1 second between each.
+This script will be used as a command to launch in further examples.
+
+**proc_sleep_echo.sh**:
+
+.. code-block:: sh
+
+    #!/bin/sh
+
+    for i in 1 2 3 4 5
+    do
+        echo $i
+        sleep 1
+    done
+
+If you are running under Windows, you won't be able to use the previous script (unless using Cygwin).
+So you'll use the following script:
+
+**proc_sleep_echo.bat**:
+
+.. code-block:: bat
+
+    @echo off
+    FOR %%A IN (1 2 3 4 5) DO (
+        ECHO %%A
+        REM if you have TIMEOUT then use it instead of PING
+        REM TIMEOUT /T 1 /NOBREAK
+        PING -n 2 127.0.0.1 > NUL
+    )
+
+Mozprocess allows the specification of custom output handlers to gather process output while running.
+ProcessHandler will by default write all outputs on stdout. You can also provide (to ProcessHandler or ProcessHandlerMixin) a function or a list of functions that will be used as callbacks on each output line generated by the process.
+
+In the following example the command's output will be stored in a file *output.log* and printed in stdout:
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    import sys
+    from mozprocess import processhandler
+    
+    fd = open('output.log', 'w')
+
+    def tostdout(line):
+        sys.stdout.write("<%s>\n" % line)
+
+    def tofile(line):
+        fd.write("<%s>\n" % line)
+
+    # under Windows you'll replace by 'proc_sleep_echo.bat'
+    command = './proc_sleep_echo.sh'
+    outputs = [tostdout, tofile]
+
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandlerMixin(command, processOutputLine=outputs)
+    p.run()
+    p.wait()
+
+    fd.close()
+
+The process output can be saved (*obj = ProcessHandler(..., storeOutput=True)*) so as it is possible to request it (*obj.output*) at any time. Note that the default value for *stroreOutput* is *True*, so it is not necessary to provide it in the parameters.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    import time
+    import sys
+    from mozprocess import processhandler
+
+    command = './proc_sleep_echo.sh' # Windows: 'proc_sleep_echo.bat'
+
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command, storeOutput=True)
+    p.run()
+    for i in xrange(10):
+        print(p.output)
+        time.sleep(0.5)
+    p.wait()
+
+In previous example, you will see the *p.output* list growing.
+
+Execution
+---------
+
+Status
+``````
+
+It is possible to query the status of the process via *poll()* that will return None if the process is still running, 0 if it ended without failures and a negative value if it was killed by a signal (Unix-only).
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    import time
+    import signal
+    from mozprocess import processhandler
+
+    command = './proc_sleep_echo.sh'
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command)
+    p.run()
+    time.sleep(2)
+    print("poll status: %s" % p.poll())
+    time.sleep(1)
+    p.kill(signal.SIGKILL)
+    print("poll status: %s" % p.poll())
+
+Timeout
+```````
+
+A timeout can be provided to the *run()* method. If the process last more than timeout seconds, it will be stopped.
+
+After execution, the property *timedOut* will be set to True if a timeout was reached.
+
+It is also possible to provide functions (*obj = ProcessHandler[Mixin](..., onTimeout=functions)*) that will be called if the timeout was reached.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    from mozprocess import processhandler
+
+    def ontimeout():
+        print("REACHED TIMEOUT")
+
+    command = './proc_sleep_echo.sh' # Windows: 'proc_sleep_echo.bat'
+    functions = [ontimeout]
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command, onTimeout=functions)
+    p.run(timeout=2)
+    p.wait()
+    print("timedOut = %s" % p.timedOut)
+
+By default the process will be killed on timeout but it is possible to prevent this by setting *kill_on_timeout* to *False*.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command, onTimeout=functions, kill_on_timeout=False)
+    p.run(timeout=2)
+    p.wait()
+    print("timedOut = %s" % p.timedOut)
+
+In this case, no output will be available after the timeout, but the process will still be running.
+
+Waiting
+```````
+
+It is possible to wait until the process exits as already seen with the method *wait()*, or until the end of a timeout if given. Note that in last case the process is still alive after the timeout.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    command = './proc_sleep_echo.sh' # Windows: 'proc_sleep_echo.bat'
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command)
+    p.run()
+    p.wait(timeout=2)
+    print("timedOut = %s" % p.timedOut)
+    p.wait()
+
+Killing
+```````
+
+You can request to kill the process with the method *kill*. f the parameter "ignore_children" is set to False when the process handler class is initialized, all the process's children will be killed as well.
+
+Except on Windows, you can specify the signal with which to kill method the process (e.g.: *kill(signal.SIGKILL)*).
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    import time
+    from mozprocess import processhandler
+    
+    command = './proc_sleep_echo.sh' # Windows: 'proc_sleep_echo.bat'
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command)
+    p.run()
+    time.sleep(2)
+    p.kill()
+
+End of execution
+````````````````
+
+You can provide a function or a list of functions to call at the end of the process using the initilization parameter *onFinish*.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    from mozprocess import processhandler
+
+    def finish():
+        print("Finished!!")
+
+    command = './proc_sleep_echo.sh' # Windows: 'proc_sleep_echo.bat'
+
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command, onFinish=finish)
+    p.run()
+    p.wait()
+
+Child management
+----------------
+
+Consider the following scripts:
+
+**proc_child.sh**:
+
+.. code-block:: sh
+
+    #!/bin/sh
+    for i in a b c d e
+    do
+        echo $i
+        sleep 1
+    done
+
+**proc_parent.sh**:
+
+.. code-block:: sh
+
+    #!/bin/sh
+    ./proc_child.sh
+    for i in 1 2 3 4 5 
+    do
+        echo $i
+        sleep 1
+    done
+
+For windows users consider: 
+
+**proc_child.bat**:
+
+.. code-block:: bat
+
+    @echo off
+    FOR %%A IN (a b c d e) DO (
+        ECHO %%A
+        REM TIMEOUT /T 1 /NOBREAK
+        PING -n 2 127.0.0.1 > NUL
+    )
+
+**proc_parent.bat**:
+
+.. code-block:: bat
+
+    @echo off
+    call proc_child.bat
+    FOR %%A IN (1 2 3 4 5) DO (
+        ECHO %%A
+        REM TIMEOUT /T 1 /NOBREAK
+        PING -n 2 127.0.0.1 > NUL
+    )
+
+For processes that launch other processes, mozprocess allows you to get child running status, wait for child termination, and kill children.
+
+Ignoring children
+`````````````````
+
+By default the *ignore_children* option is False. In that case, killing the main process will kill all its children at the same time.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    import time
+    from mozprocess import processhandler
+
+    def finish():
+        print("Finished")
+
+    command = './proc_parent.sh'
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command, ignore_children=False, onFinish=finish)
+    p.run()
+    time.sleep(2)
+    print("kill")
+    p.kill()
+
+If *ignore_children* is set to *True*, killing will apply only to the main process that will wait children end of execution before stoping (join).
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    import time
+    from mozprocess import processhandler
+
+    def finish():
+        print("Finished")
+
+    command = './proc_parent.sh'
+    p = processhandler.ProcessHandler(command, ignore_children=True, onFinish=finish)
+    p.run()
+    time.sleep(2)
+    print("kill")
+    p.kill()
+
+API Documentation
+-----------------
+
+.. module:: mozprocess
+.. autoclass:: ProcessHandlerMixin
+   :members: __init__, timedOut, commandline, run, kill, processOutputLine, onTimeout, onFinish, wait
+.. autoclass:: ProcessHandler
+   :members: