simple python file that reads an input file and sends out email via unix mail / sendmail command. demonstrates many of the core python functions and features.

mailer.py

#!/usr/bin/python

import sys 
import os 
import datetime 
from subprocess import Popen, PIPE, call
from datetime import date, datetime, date, time

"""
Sends out an email via the unix mail command, 
something like the following: 
echo "test" | mail -s subject -c ccPerson -r from to 
"""
def unix_mail_helper(to, from_add, cc, subject, body):
  pipe = Popen(['mail', '-s', subject, '-c', cc, '-r', from_add, to], stdin=PIPE) 
	pipe.stdin.write(body)
	pipe.communicate()[0] 
	"""
	Alternatively:: 
	emailAddress = '[email protected]' 
	title = 'My Email Title' 
	subject = 'This is the subject of my email' 
	 
	p1 = Popen(['echo', subject], stdout= PIPE) #Set up the echo command and direct the output to a pipe 
	p2 = Popen(['mail', '-s' ,title, emailAddress], stdin=p1.stdout) #send p1's output to p2 
	p1.stdout.close() #make sure we close the output so p2 doesn't hang waiting for more input 
	output = p2.communicate()[0] #run our commands
	"""

	
"""
Reads and parse the mail template for email
information and details. 
"""
def read_mail_template(mail_template_path):
	print "Parsing mail template" 
	template_file = open(mail_template_path)
	to_line   	= template_file.readline().split(':')[1].strip()
	from_line 	= template_file.readline().split(':')[1].strip()
	cc_line 	= template_file.readline().split(':')[1].strip()
	subject 	= template_file.readline().split(':')[1].strip()
	#print "To:%s From:%s cc:%s subject:[%s]" %(to_line, from_line, cc_line, subject)
	
	body_text = ""
	for line in template_file: 
		body_text += line
	
	#print "----\r\n%s" %(body_text)
	return to_line, from_line, cc_line, subject, body_text
	

def send_mail():
	if len(sys.argv) < 2: 
		print "Please specify FULL PATH to mail template file for processing"
	else:
		mail_template_path = sys.argv[1]
		print "Using<" + mail_template_path + "> as mail template to send mail"
		to_line, from_line, cc_line, subject, body_text = read_mail_template( mail_template_path ) 
		# sends out mail ! 
		unix_mail_helper(to_line, from_line, cc_line, subject, body_text) 
		

"""
This function prints out all relevant working directory
information for debugging / logging purposes 
"""
def print_working_dir_info(): 
		
	print("Path at terminal when executing this file")
	print(os.getcwd() + "\n")

	print("This file path, relative to os.getcwd()")
	print(__file__ + "\n")

	print("This file full path (following symlinks)")
	full_path = os.path.realpath(__file__)
	print(full_path + "\n")

	print("This file directory and name")
	path, file = os.path.split(full_path)
	print(path + ' --> ' + file + "\n")

	print("This file directory only")
	print(os.path.dirname(full_path))

# START PROGRAM EXECUTION HERE 	!!!
print "Chaser Script executed on: " + str(date.today())
send_mail()
	
"""
sample mail template file as follow. 

to: [email protected]
from: [email protected]
cc: [email protected]
subject: test

hello this is a test email.... 

"""