def simport(modname):
    """
    Safely import a module without raising an error. 

    Parameters
    -----------
    modname : str
              module name needed to import
    
    Returns
    --------
    tuple of (True, Module) or (False, None) depending on whether the import
    succeeded.

    Notes
    ------
    Wrapping this function around an iterative context or a with context would
    allow the module to be used without necessarily attaching it permanently in
    the global namespace:
    
    # >>> for t,mod in simport('pandas'):
    #         if t:
    #             mod.DataFrame()
    #         else:
    #             #do alternative behavior here
    #         del mod #or don't del, your call
    #
    # instead of:
    #
    # >>> t, mod = simport('pandas')
    # >>> if t:
    #         mod.DataFrame()
    #     else:
    #         #do alternative behavior here

    The first idiom makes it work kind of a like a with statement.
    """
    try:
        exec('import {}'.format(modname))
        return True, eval(modname)
    except:
        return False, None
