import gzip

def getContents(fn):
    f = file(fn, "r")
    r = f.readline().strip(" \t\r\n")
    f.close()
    return r


def setContents(fn, s):
    f = file(fn, "w")
    f.write("%s\n" % s)
    f.close()

def magicFile(fn, mode):

    f = None
    
    try:
        f = gzip.open(fn, mode)
        f.read(1)
        f.seek(0)
        return f
        
    except IOError:

        if not f is None:
            f.close()

    return open(fn, mode)