edits mails for easier replying

strip_mail.py

#!/usr/bin/python
#-*- coding: utf-8
"""
This script formats emails for easier replying
Strips out greetings and signatures

usage:
$ cat mail.txt | python script.py
"""
greetings = ["Hello", "Hei" "Hei!"]
greetouts = ["Regards", "Hilsen", "MVH"]

def is_greeating(line, greetings):
    """ if lines matches greetings, return True """
    for greet in greetings:
        if re.match("^> %s$" % greet, line):
            return True
    return False

def main()
    original_mail = []
    if not sys.stdin.isatty():
        original_mail = sys.stdin.readlines()

    purged_mail = []
    signature_found = False
    for line in original_mail:
        # non_quoted lines, leave them
        if not line.startswith(">"):
            purged_mail.append(line)
            continue

        # remove greegings
        if not saw_greeting:
            if is_greeating(line, greetings):
                saw_greeting = True
                continue

        # remove greetouts
        if not saw_greetout:
            if is_greeating(line, greetouts):
                saw_greeting = True
                continue

        #find indentation level
        pref, context = re.match("^([>\s]+)(.*)$", line).groups()
        indents = pref.count(">")

        # remove signatures
        if re.match("^[> ]+ ?-- ?$", line):
            signature_found = indents
            continue
        if signature_found == indents:
            continue
        else:
            signature_found = False
    
        #> should not be spaced
        pref = ">"*indents

        purged_mail.append(pref +" "+context+"\n")
        
        prev_indent = indents

    print "".join(purged_mail)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()