def splitLine(text):
    """split a line of text on the first space character and return
    two strings, the first word and the remaining string. This is
    used for parsing the incoming messages from left to right since
    the command and its arguments are all delimited by spaces and
    the command may not contain spaces"""
    sp = text.split(" ")
    try:
        a = sp[0]
        b = " ".join(sp[1:])
    except:
        a = text
        b = ""
    return a, b