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+====================
+ Short introduction
+====================
+
+Open port 0 at "9600,8,N,1", no timeout::
+
+    >>> import serial
+    >>> ser = serial.Serial(0)  # open first serial port
+    >>> print ser.portstr       # check which port was really used
+    >>> ser.write("hello")      # write a string
+    >>> ser.close()             # close port
+
+Open named port at "19200,8,N,1", 1s timeout::
+
+    >>> ser = serial.Serial('/dev/ttyS1', 19200, timeout=1)
+    >>> x = ser.read()          # read one byte
+    >>> s = ser.read(10)        # read up to ten bytes (timeout)
+    >>> line = ser.readline()   # read a '\n' terminated line
+    >>> ser.close()
+
+Open second port at "38400,8,E,1", non blocking HW handshaking::
+
+    >>> ser = serial.Serial(1, 38400, timeout=0,
+    ...                     parity=serial.PARITY_EVEN, rtscts=1)
+    >>> s = ser.read(100)       # read up to one hundred bytes
+    ...                         # or as much is in the buffer
+
+Get a Serial instance and configure/open it later::
+
+    >>> ser = serial.Serial()
+    >>> ser.baudrate = 19200
+    >>> ser.port = 0
+    >>> ser
+    Serial<id=0xa81c10, open=False>(port='COM1', baudrate=19200, bytesize=8, parity='N', stopbits=1, timeout=None, xonxoff=0, rtscts=0)
+    >>> ser.open()
+    >>> ser.isOpen()
+    True
+    >>> ser.close()
+    >>> ser.isOpen()
+    False
+
+Be carefully when using "readline". Do specify a timeout when opening the
+serial port otherwise it could block forever if no newline character is
+received. Also note that "readlines" only works with a timeout. "readlines"
+depends on having a timeout and interprets that as EOF (end of file). It raises
+an exception if the port is not opened correctly.  Do also have a look at the
+example files in the examples directory in the source distribution or online.