Send IMs with Pidgin/Finch's DBUS interface

purple.py

#/usr/bin/env python3


import dbus


bus = dbus.SessionBus()
obj = bus.get_object("im.pidgin.purple.PurpleService", "/im/pidgin/purple/PurpleObject")
purple = dbus.Interface(obj, "im.pidgin.purple.PurpleInterface")

# get list of accounts
accounts = purple.PurpleAccountsGetAll()

buddies = {}

for accountId in accounts:
    # get list of buddies for an account
    buddyIds = purple.PurpleFindBuddies(accountId, "")

    for buddyId in buddyIds:
        buddy = {
            "id": buddyId,
            "name": purple.PurpleBuddyGetName(buddyId),
            "alias": purple.PurpleBuddyGetAlias(buddyId),
            "accountId": accountId
        }

        # NOTE: this overwrites users if they are in multiple protocols
        buddies[buddy["alias"]] = buddy


# Let's say I want to send a message to `bud`, which is some entry in `buddies`
def sendIm(buddy, message):
    # First we make a new conversation
    # (I think the `1` in the first arg is "IM", and a 2 would be "chat"...?
    conversationId = purple.PurpleConversationNew(1, buddy["accountId"], buddy["name"])

    # Next we make a new IM out of the conversation (yep...)
    imId = purple.PurpleConvIm(conversationId)

    # Finally we send the IM
    purple.PurpleConvImSend(imId, message)


# Let's try with Drew
drew = buddies["Andrew Oppenlander"]
sendIm(drew, "Why, hello there!")