define.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

'''
I frequently look up word meanings online.
It's kind of a hassle to fire up the browser, and search online after a while.
It's a lot easier for me to do it from the command line, when my terminal is one keyboard shortcut away.
I wrote this script using the wordnik api that does just that.
I suggest you put this somewhere in your PATH, make it executable.

Make sure you get a Wornik API key at http://developer.wordnik.com/
Copy and paste your API key to the first and only line of $HOME/.wordnik (linux, mac) or %USERPROFILE%\.wordnik (windows)

Example output:
$ define myopic --limit=3
========================================================================
                   myopic (got 3 results, asked for 3)                    
========================================================================
1: nearsighted; unable to see distant objects unaided
2: shortsighted; improvident
3: narrow minded
'''

import os
import sys
import argparse
import urllib2

from wordnik.api.APIClient import APIClient
from wordnik.api.WordAPI import WordAPI
import wordnik.model

HOME = os.environ[['USERPROFILE', 'HOME'][sys.platform in ['linux2', 'darwin']]]

with open(os.path.join(HOME, '.wordnik')) as fh:
    key = fh.read().strip()


client = APIClient(key, 'http://api.wordnik.com/v4')

wordAPI = WordAPI(client)

def die(msg):
    print '=' * 72
    print 'ERROR'.center(72)
    print '=' * 72
    print msg.center(72)

def getDefinition(word, limit):
    input = wordnik.model.WordDefinitionsInput.WordDefinitionsInput()
    input.word = word
    input.limit = limit
    try:
        definitions = wordAPI.getDefinitions(input)
    except urllib2.HTTPError, tb:
        die(str(tb))
        return
    print '=' * 72
    if definitions is None:
        print "No definitions found"
        return
    print '%s (got %d results, asked for %d)'.center(72) % (word,
            len(definitions), limit)
    print '=' * 72
    for index, word in enumerate(definitions):
        print '%d: %s' % (index + 1, word.text)


def shell(limit):
    while True:
        word = raw_input('Word: ')
        os.system(['clear', 'cls'][sys.platform == 'win32'])
        getDefinition(word, limit)



parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Lookup word definitions'
        ' quickly from the command line using the Wordnik API! Place your API'
        ' key in the first line of "$HOME/.wordnik" or "%USERPROFILE$\.wordnik"'
        ' This script works on Linux, Mac, and Windows.', epilog='Developed by Luis Naranjo'
        ' <luisnaranjo733@gmail.com>')
parser.add_argument('word', nargs='?')
parser.add_argument('-l', '--limit', help='Enter a limit of search results'
        ' to display at a time.', type=int, default=3)
parser.add_argument('-s', '--shell', help='Enter a shell for looking up'
        ' many words at a time!', action='store_true')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    args = parser.parse_args()
    if args.word:
        getDefinition(args.word, args.limit)

    if args.shell:
        print 'Use regular keyboard interrupt to exit (usually CTRL-C)'
        try:
            shell(args.limit)
        except KeyboardInterrupt:
            sys.exit(0)

    if not args.word and not args.shell:
        print parser.parse_args(['-h'])