Unread, a python script that can be set up in a scheduler to show desktop notifications for Reddit messages. Cross platform!

unread.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
c = {
  "client_id": "",
  "client_secret": "",
  "refresh_token": "" # obtained after running script for first time
}

import os
import sys
import time
try:
    import requests
except ImportError:
    print("pip install requests")
    sys.exit(1)
if sys.platform == "win32":
    try:
        import win32con
        import win32gui
        from win32api import GetModuleHandle
    except ImportError:
        print("Install pywin32 from https://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/files/pywin32/")
        sys.exit(1)
elif sys.platform == "linux": # Untested
    try:
        import notify2
    except ImportError:
        print("pip install notify2, uses dbus notifications")
        sys.exit(1)
elif sys.platform == "darwin": # Untested
    try:
        from pync import Notifier
    except ImportError:
        print("pip install pync")
        sys.exit(1)

if not c["client_id"] or not c["client_secret"]:
  print("Set client_id and client_secret (create a script app)")
  sys.exit(1)

if not c["refresh_token"]:
  import webbrowser
  webbrowser.open("https://www.reddit.com/api/v1/authorize?client_id=" + c["client_id"] + "&response_type=code&state=a&redirect_uri=http://localhost&scope=identity,privatemessages&duration=permanent")
  code = input("Code: ").strip()
  if code:
    print(requests.post("https://www.reddit.com/api/v1/access_token", auth=(c["client_id"], c["client_secret"]), headers={"User-Agent": "Unread by /u/suudo"}, data={"grant_type": "authorization_code", "code": code, "redirect_uri": "http://localhost"}).json()["refresh_token"])
    sys.exit(1)
  else:
    print("No code entered")
    sys.exit(1)

if sys.platform == "win32":
    class Notifier:
        def __init__(self, msg, title="Unread"):
            # This obscure block of code brought to you by the letters "not pythonic"
            # From https://github.com/K-DawG007/Stack-Watch/blob/master/windows_popup.py, adapted from dead url https://gist.github.com/brousch/6523559
            message_map = {win32con.WM_DESTROY: self.OnDestroy, }
            wc = win32gui.WNDCLASS()
            self.destroyed = False
            hinst = wc.hInstance = GetModuleHandle(None)
            wc.lpszClassName = "PythonTaskbar"
            wc.lpfnWndProc = message_map
            class_atom = win32gui.RegisterClass(wc)
            style = win32con.WS_OVERLAPPED | win32con.WS_SYSMENU
            self.hwnd = win32gui.CreateWindow(class_atom, "Taskbar", style,
                                              0, 0, win32con.CW_USEDEFAULT,
                                              win32con.CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, 0,
                                              hinst, None)
            win32gui.UpdateWindow(self.hwnd)
            icon_path_name = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(sys.path[0],
                                                          "balloontip.ico"))
            icon_flags = win32con.LR_LOADFROMFILE | win32con.LR_DEFAULTSIZE
            try:
                hicon = win32gui.LoadImage(hinst, icon_path_name,
                                           win32con.IMAGE_ICON, 0, 0, icon_flags)
            except:
                hicon = win32gui.LoadIcon(0, win32con.IDI_APPLICATION)
            flags = win32gui.NIF_ICON | win32gui.NIF_MESSAGE | win32gui.NIF_TIP
            nid = (self.hwnd, 0, flags, win32con.WM_USER+20, hicon, "tooltip")
            win32gui.Shell_NotifyIcon(win32gui.NIM_ADD, nid)
            win32gui.Shell_NotifyIcon(win32gui.NIM_MODIFY,
                                      (self.hwnd, 0, win32gui.NIF_INFO,
                                       win32con.WM_USER+20, hicon,
                                       "Balloon  tooltip", msg, 200, title))
            time.sleep(10)
            win32gui.DestroyWindow(self.hwnd)
            win32gui.UnregisterClass(class_atom, hinst)
            self.destroyed = True
    
        def OnDestroy(self, hwnd, msg, wparam, lparam):
            nid = (self.hwnd, 0)
            win32gui.Shell_NotifyIcon(win32gui.NIM_DELETE, nid)
            win32gui.PostQuitMessage(0)  # Terminate the app.
    
        def isDestroyed(self):
            return self.destroyed
elif sys.platform == "linux": # Untested
    class Notifier:
        def __init__(self, msg, title="Unread"):
            n = notify2.Notification(title, msg, "notification-message-im")
            n.show()
            return n
elif sys.platform == "darwin": # Untested
    pass # Notifier class already imported with pync

def truncate(text):
    if len(text) > 150:
        return text[:147] + "..."
    return text

def main():
    token = requests.post("https://www.reddit.com/api/v1/access_token", auth=(c["client_id"], c["client_secret"]), headers={"User-Agent": "Unread by /u/suudo"}, data={"grant_type": "refresh_token", "refresh_token": c["refresh_token"]}).json()["access_token"]
    h = {"User-Agent": "Unread by /u/suudo", "Authorization": "Bearer " + token}
    messages = requests.get("https://oauth.reddit.com/message/unread", headers=h).json()["data"]["children"]
    if len(messages) > 1:
        n = Notifier("\n".join(
            "/u/{}: {}".format(m["data"]["author"], truncate(m["data"]["body"])) for m in messages
        ), "Unread: New messages from")
    elif messages:
        message = messages[0]["data"]
        text = message["body"]
        n = Notifier(truncate(message["body"]),
                     "Unread: New {} from /u/{}".format("comment" if message["was_comment"] else "message", message["author"]) )
#    requests.post("https://oauth.reddit.com/api/read_all_messages", headers=h)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()