def ProcessImports(fileAsString, fancyVerbatim, verbose):
    """
    Checks if the file includes import statements and acts upon them

    Parameters
    ----------------
    fileAsString : str
        The file displayed as a string for search&replace

    Returns
    ----------------
    processedString : str
        fileAsString's %@import statements fully processed

    Example
    ---------------
    >>>ProcessImports('%@import\nthis should be displayed\n%@')
    PrepareImportString("this should be displayed")

    """

    processedString = fileAsString

    if verbose:
        print "Processing %@import raw text-blocks"
    """
    handles %@imports that don't actually import anything
    (e.g. raw text into code-block format)
    """
    solitary = re.search(r"^%@import\n(.|\n)*?%@$",
                          processedString, re.MULTILINE)
    if solitary:
        stringToPrepare = solitary.group(0)[9:-3]
    while solitary:
        latexPreparedString = PrepareImportString(stringToPrepare,
                                                  fancyVerbatim)
        processedString = processedString.replace(solitary.group(0),
                                                  latexPreparedString)
        solitary = re.search(r"^%@import\n(.|\n)*?%@$",
                             processedString, re.MULTILINE)
        if solitary:
            stringToPrepare = solitary.group(0)[9:-3]

    foundStatements = re.findall(r"^%@import.*",
                                 processedString, re.MULTILINE)

    if verbose:
        if len(foundStatements) == 0:
            print "No %@import hits"
        else:
            print "Processing %@imports of external scripts"

    #textblocksToImport = []
    #loopvariables
    iterator = 0

    for x in foundStatements:
        """
        splits %@import, the file parameter and the regex statement
        into separate strings. Makes sure to remove parentheses if
        it's going to import from a file.
        """
        splittedStatement = re.split(r"\s", x, 2)
        splittedStatement[2] = splittedStatement[2][1:-1]

        fileToImportFrom = open(splittedStatement[1], "r")
        fileToImportFromAsString = fileToImportFrom.read()
        fileToImportFrom.close()

        textToImport = re.search(splittedStatement[2],
                                 fileToImportFromAsString)
        latexPreparedString = " "
        if textToImport:
            latexPreparedString = PrepareImportString(
                textToImport.group(0), fancyVerbatim)

        processedString = processedString.replace(
            foundStatements[iterator], latexPreparedString)

        iterator=iterator+1

    return processedString