fix function "getHltConfiguration"

Update of the functions "getHltConfiguration" and "loadHltConfiguration" defined in

HLTrigger/Configuration/python/Utilities.py

 - remove unnecessary dependencies on external packages like "types"
 - fix "getHltConfiguration" (was broken since the changes in #34563)
 - return cms.Process object in "loadHltConfiguration" (backward-compatible change)
 - add checks in both functions to catch errors in ConfDB queries

HLTrigger/Configuration/python/Utilities.py

@@ -1,33 +1,51 @@
-import types
+import FWCore.ParameterSet.Config as cms
 
 import HLTrigger.Configuration.Tools.options as _options
 import HLTrigger.Configuration.Tools.confdb  as _confdb
 
 def _build_options(**args):
-  options = _options.HLTProcessOptions()
-  for key, val in args.items():
-    setattr(options, key, val)
-  return options
+    options = _options.HLTProcessOptions()
+    for key, val in args.items():
+        setattr(options, key, val)
+    return options
 
 
 def getHltConfiguration(menu, **args):
-  args['menu']     = menu
-  args['fragment'] = False
-  options = _build_options(**args)
+    args['menu'] = menu
+    args['fragment'] = False
+    options = _build_options(**args)
 
-  hlt = _imp.new_module('hlt')
-  exec(_confdb.HLTProcess(options).dump(), globals(), hlt.__dict__)
-  return hlt.process
+    try:
+        foo = {'process': None}
+        exec(_confdb.HLTProcess(options).dump(), globals(), foo)
+        process = foo['process']
+    except:
+        raise Exception(f'query to ConfDB failed (output is not a valid python file)\n  args={args}')
+
+    if not isinstance(process, cms.Process):
+        raise Exception(f'query to ConfDB did not return a valid HLT menu (cms.Process not found)\n  args={args}')
+
+    return process
 
 
 def loadHltConfiguration(process, menu, **args):
-  args['menu']     = menu
-  args['fragment'] = True
-  options = _build_options(**args)
+    args['menu'] = menu
+    args['fragment'] = True
+    options = _build_options(**args)
+
+    try:
+        hlt = {'fragment': None}
+        exec(_confdb.HLTProcess(options).dump(), globals(), hlt)
+        process2 = hlt['fragment']
+    except:
+        raise Exception(f'query to ConfDB failed (output is not a valid python file)\n  args={args}')
+
+    if not isinstance(process2, cms.Process):
+        raise Exception(f'query to ConfDB did not return a valid HLT menu (cms.Process not found)\n  args={args}')
+
+    process.extend( process2 )
 
-  hlt = types.ModuleType('hlt')
-  exec(_confdb.HLTProcess(options).dump(), globals(), hlt.__dict__)
-  process.extend( hlt )
+    return process
 
 
 import FWCore.ParameterSet.Config as _cms