How to Verify IP Address Validity in Python

When obtaining an IP address from a user as a string, it is crucial to ensure its validity. Parsing the address is not recommended; instead, it is best practice to utilize Python's built-in socket module.

The socket.inet_aton() function can determine whether an IP address is valid. It takes the IP address as a parameter and returns a binary representation of the address if it is valid. Otherwise, it raises a socket.error exception.

Here's a Python code snippet that demonstrates how to use socket.inet_aton() to validate an IP address:

import socket

def validate_ip_address(ip_address):
  try:
    socket.inet_aton(ip_address)
    return True
  except socket.error:
    return False

if validate_ip_address("192.168.1.1"):
  print("Valid IP address")
else:
  print("Invalid IP address")

This code first invokes the validate_ip_address() function, which utilizes socket.inet_aton() to check the validity of the IP address. If the address is valid, it returns True; otherwise, it returns False. The boolean result is then utilized to display a message indicating whether the IP address is valid or not.

By using this method, you can quickly and reliably validate IP addresses entered by users, ensuring the integrity of your data and the robustness of your application.