hacker_news_rss_email_alerts.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3

"""
runs via crontab on a DigitalOcean VPS

the sendgrid API key is in a ".env" file
"""

# how to run this script:
# python3 hacker_news_rss_email_alerts.py

import xmltodict
import datetime
import json
import requests
import os
#import smtplib

with open('.env','r') as fil:
    api_key = fil.read().strip()

#print(api_key)

r = requests.get('https://news.ycombinator.com/rss')
rss_as_dict = xmltodict.parse(r.text)

found_content = False

str_to_send = "search of HNews RSS feed: \n\n"

for this_dict in rss_as_dict['rss']['channel']['item']:
    for k,v in this_dict.items():
        if ((("keyword1" in v.lower()) and ("keyword2" in v.lower())) or 
            (("keyword1" in v.lower()) and ("keyword3" in v.lower()))): 
            str_to_send+=str(this_dict)+"\n"
            found_content = True

# DigitalOcean blocks port 25, so this won't work:
# # http://effbot.org/pyfaq/how-do-i-send-mail-from-a-python-script.htm
#server = smtplib.SMTP("localhost")
#server.sendmail("ben", ["ben@gmail.com"], "hello")

# I set up a SendMail account, so this works:
# curl --request POST   --url https://api.sendgrid.com/v3/mail/send   --header "Authorization: Bearer $SENDGRID_API_KEY"   --header 'Content-Type: application/json'   --data '{"personalizations": [{"to": [{"email": "ben@gmail.com"}]}],"from": {"email": "ben@gmail.com"},"subject": "Sending with SendGrid is Fun","content": [{"type": "text/plain", "value": "and easy to do anywhere, even with cURL"}]}'

# using the site https://curl.trillworks.com/#python
# I translated the above command into

headers = {
#    'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + os.environ.get('SENDGRID_API_KEY'),
  'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + api_key,
  'Content-Type': 'application/json',
}
#print(headers)

if found_content:
#    str_to_send = "no matches to existing filters for today"
    subject = "keyword match for HNews on "
else:
    subject = "no HNews matches to report on "

data_dict = {"personalizations":
               [{"to": [{"email": "ben@gmail.com"}],
               "from": {"email": "ben@gmail.com"},
               "subject": subject + str(datetime.date.today()),
               "content": [{"type": "text/plain", "value": str_to_send}]}]}
# send the Email as a POST

data_dict_no_email = {"personalizations":
               [{"to": [{"email": "ben@gmail.com"}]}], 
               "from": {"email": "ben@gmail.com"},
               "subject": subject + str(datetime.date.today()),
               "content": [{"type": "text/plain", "value": str_to_send}]}

if found_content:
    response = requests.post('https://api.sendgrid.com/v3/mail/send',
                             headers=headers,
                             data=json.dumps(data_dict))
    # if the POST to Sendmail is successful, nothing is produced
else:
    response = requests.post('https://api.sendgrid.com/v3/mail/send',
                             headers=headers,
                             data=json.dumps(data_dict_no_email))