How to use the nixio.__version__ function in nixio

def check_nix_version():
    if not HAVE_NIX:
        raise Exception(
            "Failed to import NIX. "
            "The NixIO requires the Python package for NIX "
            "(nixio on PyPi). Try `pip install nixio`."

        )

    # nixio version numbers have a 'v' prefix which breaks the comparison
    nixverstr = nix.__version__.lstrip("v")
    try:
        nixver = Version(nixverstr)
    except ValueError:
        warnings.warn(
            "Could not understand NIX Python version {}. "
            "The NixIO requires version {} of the Python package for NIX. "
            "The IO may not work correctly.".format(nixverstr,
                                                    str(MIN_NIX_VER))
        )
        return

    if nixver < MIN_NIX_VER:
        raise Exception(
            "NIX version not supported. "
            "The NixIO requires version {} or higher of the Python package "
            "for NIX. Found version {}".format(str(MIN_NIX_VER), nixverstr)