new_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))
  
  
subject: Add a helper script, ported to Python.