def build_connection_file():
    """This function handles everything involved in building a connection
file to the manhole feature class in sewer"""

    directory = r"C:TempConnectionFiles"
    if not os.path.isdir(directory):
        os.path.makedirs(directory)

    feature_dataset = r"ThisIsReal"
    feature_class = r"ThisIsReal"

    sde = r"Database ConnectionsReal.sde"

    versions = [version.name for version in arcpy.da.ListVersions(manhole_sde)
                if (getpass.getuser() in version.name)]

    print versions[-1]

    connection_name = "ThisIsReal.sde"
    if not os.path.isfile(os.path.join(directory, connection_name)):
        arcpy.CreateDatabaseConnection_management(
            out_folder_path = directory,
            out_name = connection_name,
            database_platform = "real_platform",
            instance = "real_instance",
            account_authentication = "OPERATING_SYSTEM_AUTH",
            username = "",
            password = "",
            save_user_pass = "DO_NOT_SAVE_USERNAME",
            database = "real_database",
            version_type = "TRANSACTIONAL",
            version = versions[-1])

    connection_feature_class_full = os.path.join(
        directory, connection_name, feature_dataset,
        feature_class)

    print connection_feature_class_full

    #this was required last time I did this.
    table_view = arcpy.MakeTableView_management(
        in_table = connection_feature_class_full,
        out_view = r"connection_table", where_clause = "",
        workspace ="", field_info = "")

    arcpy.ChangeVersion_management(
        in_features = table_view, version_type = "TRANSACTIONAL",
        version_name = versions[-1], date = '')

    print("changed version")

    return connection_feature_class_full

connection_feature_class = build_connection_file()
edit = arcpy.da.Editor(manhole_connection_feature_class_full)
edit.startEditing(True, False)
edit.startOperation()