This is a Python script to check a mailbox for Twitter emails. New followers are followed. Direct messages from administrators (defined in a list) are twittered by the bot.

import twitter

import logging

from imaplib import *
from email.Parser import Parser
import datetime, time, email, email.Utils
import re

import settings

# logging
logging.basicConfig(filename=settings.LOG_FILENAME,level=logging.DEBUG,)
logger = logging.getLogger('artandcode_twitter')

logger.debug('starting')
try:
    # Connect to email server
    server = IMAP4(settings.MAIL_SERVER)
    server.login(settings.EMAIL_USERNAME, settings.EMAIL_PASSWORD)
    r = server.select("INBOX")

    # Find all mail
    r, data = server.search(None, "(ALL)")

    # If there are messages in inbox
    if len(data[0]) > 0:

        api = twitter.Api(username=settings.TWITTER_USERNAME, password=settings.TWITTER_PASSWORD)

        p = Parser()

        # Loop through emails in inbox
        for num in data[0].split():

            r, fetch_data = server.fetch(num,
            '(BODY[HEADER.FIELDS (DATE SUBJECT FROM X-TwitterEmailType X-TwitterSenderScreenName X-TwitterCreatedAt X-TwitterRecipientScreenName)])')
            msg = p.parsestr(fetch_data[0][1])
            who = msg.__getitem__('From')
            matchemail = re.compile(r'[\w\-][\w\-\.]+@[\w\-][\w\-\.]+[a-zA-Z]{1,4}')
            email_addy = matchemail.findall(who)[0]

            twitter_sender_screen_name = msg.__getitem__('X-TwitterSenderScreenName')

            if msg.__getitem__('X-TwitterRecipientScreenName') == settings.TWITTER_USERNAME:
                # if the message is a following message
                if msg.__getitem__('X-TwitterEmailType') == 'is_following':

                    # follow the user
                    api.CreateFriendship(twitter_sender_screen_name)

                # If the email is a direct message sent from Twitter
                if msg.__getitem__('X-TwitterEmailType') == 'direct_message':
                    # if the sender is an administrator
                    if [twitter_sender_screen_name in settings.ADMINISTRATORS]:
        	               # When direct message sent, convert to epoch seconds
                        twitter_time = msg.__getitem__('X-TwitterCreatedAt').strip()
                        time_tuple = email.Utils.parsedate(twitter_time)
                        epoch_seconds = time.mktime(time_tuple)

                        # Get body of email sent by Twitter
                        r, body_data = server.fetch(num, '(RFC822.TEXT)')
                        body = body_data[0][1]
                        twitter_direct_message = body.split("\r\n\r\n")[0].strip()

                        api.PostUpdate(twitter_direct_message[:140-1])

        # copy the messages out of the INBOX
        server.copy(','.join(data[0].split(' ')), 'PROCESSED')

        # mark the messages as deleted
        # Loop through emails in inbox
        for num in data[0].split():
            server.store(num, '+FLAGS', '\\Deleted')

        # expunge the messages. Not sure if this is needed
        server.expunge()

    # delete the messages on close
    server.close()

    # Logout of email server
    server.logout()
except Exception, error:
    logger.exception(str(error))

logger.debug('finished')

These instructions will install PIL properly on Mac OS X 10.5. The instructions are adapted from here.

Go to here and download PIL.

Now we set up the environment so that you can install it.

In Terminal, create a symbolic link for the system’s Python.framework
in the location expected by the pythonmac.org tools, like so:

cd /Library/Frameworks
sudo ln -s /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/ Python.framework

Now run the installer. It should not complain and it should install successfully.

The final step installs PIL in your Python site packages.

cd /Library/Python/2.5/site-packages/
echo "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/site-packages
" > PIL.pth

Test your new PIL install with:

python -c "from PIL import Image"

if you do not get an error, then you have a correct PIL install!

I recently deployed a Django 1.0.2 site using mod_python. Turns out this was a mistake. I should have used mod_wsgi. Mod_python is no longer under development. See Django ticket about recommending mod_wsgi.

[Corrected: wrong link]

The link on the website is broken, the correct link is: mod python mailing list archives