anews - Arch Linux news python script

anews.py

    #!/usr/bin/env python3
    import os
    import sys
    import time
    import termcolor
    import feedparser
    
    # Usage:
    #   anews [number of headlines (optional)]
    #   e.g. "anews 6" or "anews"
    # Dependencies:
    #   python
    #   python-feedparser
    #   python-termcolor
    # Files:
    #   $HOME/.anews.last - stores the timestamp of last news retrieval
    
    def last_io():
        global last
        try:
            with open(os.environ['HOME'] + '/.anews.last', 'r') as f:
                last = time.strptime(f.readline(), '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S\n')
        except:
            print('Unable to read ~/.anews.last, assuming unix epoch')
            last = time.strptime('1970-01-01 00:00:00', '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
    
        try:
            with open(os.environ['HOME'] + '/.anews.last', 'w') as f:
                f.write(time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S', time.localtime()) + '\n')
        except:
            print('Unable to write ~/.anews.last, skipping')
    
    def feed_io():
        global feed
        feed = feedparser.parse('https://www.archlinux.org/feeds/news')
    
    def titles(n):
        last_io()
        feed_io()
        for i in range(n):
            entry = feed['entries'][i]
            print(termcolor.colored('#' + str(i + 1), 'yellow', attrs = ['bold']), termcolor.colored(entry['title'], 'blue' if entry['published_parsed'] < last else 'green', attrs = ['bold']), termcolor.colored('by', 'white'), termcolor.colored(entry['author'], 'white', attrs = ['bold']))
            print('   ', time.strftime(termcolor.colored('[%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S]', 'white', attrs = ['bold']), entry['published_parsed']), entry['link'])
    
    def shift_args():
        if len(sys.argv) < 1:
            raise ValueError('Invalid arguments')
        tmp, *sys.argv = sys.argv
        return tmp
    
    def parse_args():
        shift_args() # discard script name
        num = 10
        if len(sys.argv) != 0:
            num = int(shift_args())
        titles(num)
    
    parse_args()