code: def get_contents(self, path):
          '''
          Loads the contents of the file specified by path
  
          Args:
              path (string): The relative or absolute path to the file to
                  be loaded.  If the path is relative, then it is combined
                  with the base_path to generate a full path string
  
          Returns:
              string: The contents of the file as a string
  
          Raises:
              ConfigurationError: If the file cannot be loaded
          '''
          try:
              if not os.path.exists(path):
                  raise ConfigurationError('specified path does not exist %s' % path)
  
              with open(path) as f:
                  data = f.read()
  
              return data
  
          except (IOError, OSError) as exc:
              raise ConfigurationError('error trying to load file contents: %s' % excf get_contents(self, path):
          '''
          Loads the contents of the file specified by path
  
          Args:
              path (string): The relative or absolute path to the file to
                  be loaded.  If the path is relative, then it is combined
                  with the base_path to generate a full path string
  
          Returns:
              string: The contents of the file as a string
  
          Raises:
              ConfigurationError: If the file cannot be loaded
          '''
          try:
              if not os.path.exists(path):
                  raise ConfigurationError('specified path does not exist %s' % path)
  
              with open(path) as f:
                  data = f.read()
  
              return data
  
          except (IOError, OSError) as exc:
              raise ConfigurationError('error trying to load file contents: %s' % exc)
docs: Loads the contents of the file specified by path
  
          Args:
              path (string): The relative or absolute path to the file to
                  be loaded.  If the path is relative, then it is combined
                  with the base_path to generate a full path string
  
          Returns:
              string: The contents of the file as a string
  
          Raises:
              ConfigurationError: If the file cannot be loaded