old_contents: #!/usr/bin/env python
  
  import os
  import sqlite3
  import sys
  
  # helper
  def usage():
    sys.stderr.write("USAGE: %s [PATH]\n" + \
                     "\n" + \
                     "Prints to stdout the format of the working copy at PATH.\n")
  
  # parse argv
  wc = (sys.argv[1:] + ['.'])[0]
  
  # main()
  entries = os.path.join(wc, '.svn', 'entries')
  wc_db = os.path.join(wc, '.svn', 'wc.db')
  
  if os.path.exists(entries):
    formatno = int(open(entries).readline())
  elif os.path.exists(wc_db):
    formatno = sqlite3.connect(wc_db).execute('pragma user_version;').fetchone()[0]
  else:
    usage()
    sys.exit(1)
  
  # 1.0.x -> 1.3.x: format 4
  # 1.4.x: format 8
  # 1.5.x: format 9
  # 1.6.x: format 10
  # 1.7.x: format XXX
  print("%s: %d" % (wc, formatno))
  
  
new_contents: #!/usr/bin/env python
  
  import os
  import sqlite3
  import sys
  
  
  def print_format(wc_path):
    entries = os.path.join(wc_path, '.svn', 'entries')
    wc_db = os.path.join(wc_path, '.svn', 'wc.db')
  
    if os.path.exists(entries):
      formatno = int(open(entries).readline())
    elif os.path.exists(wc_db):
      conn = sqlite3.connect(wc_db)
      curs = conn.cursor()
      curs.execute('pragma user_version;')
      formatno = curs.fetchone()[0]
    else:
      formatno = 'not under version control'
  
    # see subversion/libsvn_wc/wc.h for format values and information
    #   1.0.x -> 1.3.x: format 4
    #   1.4.x: format 8
    #   1.5.x: format 9
    #   1.6.x: format 10
    #   1.7.x: format XXX
    print '%s: %s' % (wc_path, formatno)
  
  
  if __name__ == '__main__':
    paths = sys.argv[1:]
    if not paths:
      paths = ['.']
    for wc_path in paths:
      print_format(wc_path)
  
subject: Allow script to take multiple paths, and adjust to standard __main__ idiom for cmdline scripts.