gistfile1.py

import sys
from datetime import datetime
from collections import namedtuple


Message = namedtuple('Message', [
    'title',
    'description',
    'location',
    'added',
    'lines'
])


def parse_messages(fin):
    state = 0
    title = desc = loc = added = None
    lines = []

    for line in fin:
        if state == 0:
            title = line
            state = 10
        elif state == 10 and line.startswith('-'):
            desc, loc, added = [p.strip() for p in line.split('|')]
            added = datetime.strptime(
                added, 'Added on %A, %B %d, %Y, %I:%M %p')
            state = 20
        elif state == 20:
            if not line.strip():
                continue
            elif line.startswith('=========='):
                state = 0
                yield Message(title, desc, loc, added, lines)
                del lines[:]
            else:
                lines.append(line.strip())


def main(argv):
    with open(argv[1], 'rU') as fin:
        for message in parse_messages(fin):
            print(message)


if __name__ == '__main__':
    sys.exit(main(sys.argv))