A Python wrapper for zwrite that shells out to send zephyrgrams.

zwrite.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3

# Written in 2015 by Lizhou Sha <slz@mit.edu>
#
# To the extent possible under law, the author has dedicated all copyright
# and related and neighboring rights to this software to the public domain
# worldwide. This software is distributed without any warranty.
#
# See <http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/> for a copy of the
# CC0 Public Domain Dedication.

import subprocess, random, time, sys

def zwrite(message, classname="message", instance="personal", sender=None, zsig=None, opcode="", unauth=False):
    zwrite_invoke = ["zwrite", "-c", classname, "-i", instance, "-O", opcode]
    if sender is not None:
        zwrite_invoke.extend(["-S", sender])
    if zsig is not None:
        zwrite_invoke.extend(["-s", zsig])
    if unauth:
        zwrite_invoke.append("-d")
    zwrite_invoke.extend(["-m", message])
    return subprocess.call(zwrite_invoke)

def failsafe_zwrite(max_tries=10, interval=10, *args, **kwargs):
    randomizer = random.Random()
    for i in range(max_tries):
        status = zwrite(*args, **kwargs)
        if status == 0:
            return 0
            break
        else:
            time.sleep(randomizer.randint(0, i+1) * interval)
    else:
        return status

if __name__ == "__main__":
    sys.exit(zwrite(*sys.argv[1:]))