Random Gmail Emojis

random_gmail_emoji.py

#!/usr/bin/python
"""
Return a random unicode character likely to render as a valid emoji in gmail

Ranges are taken from
http://www.unicode.org/~scherer/emoji4unicode/20090804/utc.html
"""

import random

google_emoji_ranges = {
    '0': ('00', '5B'),
    '1': ('90', 'E2'),
    '3': ('20', '5B'),
    '4': ('B0', 'FF'),
    '5': ('00', '53'),
    '7': ('D0', 'FF'),
    '8': ('00', '3A'),
    '9': ('60', '88'),
    'A': ('F0', 'FF'),
    'B': ('00', 'A1'),
}

more_sig_byte = random.choice(google_emoji_ranges.keys())

# Since the ranges are different sizes, all characters don't have
# an equal probability of being chosen. I don't care.
min_range, max_range = google_emoji_ranges[more_sig_byte]
least_sig_bytes = random.randint(int(min_range, 16), int(max_range, 16))

print unichr(
    int('FE000', 16) +
    int(more_sig_byte + '00', 16) +
    least_sig_bytes
).encode('utf-8')