code: def padded_split(value, sep, maxsplit=None, pad=None):
      
      result = value.split(sep, maxsplit)
      if maxsplit is not None:
          result.extend(
              [pad] * (1+maxsplit-len(result)))
      return result
docs: Modified split() to include padding
      See http://code.activestate.com/lists/python-ideas/3366/
  
      :attr value: see str.split()
      :attr sep: see str.split()
      :attr maxsplit: see str.split()
      :attr pad: Value to use for padding maxsplit
  
      >>> padded_split('text/html', ';', 1)
      ['text/html', None]
      >>> padded_split('text/html;q=1', ';', 1)
      ['text/html', 'q=1']
      >>> padded_split('text/html;a=1;b=2', ';', 1)
      ['text/html', 'a=1;b=2']
      >>> padded_split('text/html', ';', 1, True)
      ['text/html', True]
      >>> padded_split('text/html;a=1;b=2', ';', 2)
      ['text/html', 'a=1', 'b=2']
      >>> padded_split('text/html;a=1', ';', 2)
      ['text/html', 'a=1', None]