multi-mechanize/reddit: forms, cookies, and comments

gistfile1.py

import mechanize
import urllib

BASE_URL = 'http://my-reddit'
THREAD = BASE_URL + '/r/reddit/particular-thread'

class Transaction(object):
    def __init__(self):
        self.user = 'redditor'
        self.pass = 'password'

    def run(self):
        # init browser
        br = mechanize.Browser()
        br.set_handle_redirect(True)
        br.set_handle_referer(True)
        br.set_handle_robots(False)

        # do login
        _ = br.open(BASE_URL)
        br.select_form(nr=1)
        br.form['user'] = self.user
        br.form['passwd'] = self.pass
        r = br.submit()
        r.read()
        assert (r.code == 200), 'Bad HTTP Response'

        # go to comment page
        posting = THREAD
        rval = THREAD.split('/')[4]
        r = br.open(posting)
        r.read()
        assert (r.code == 200), 'Bad HTTP Response'

        # load required value from hidden form field
        br.select_form(nr=0)
        uh = br.form['uh']

        # select top-level comment form
        br.select_form(nr=12)
        thing_id = br.form['thing_id']
        id = '#' + br.form.attrs['id']

        # build and submit the comment posting
        data = {'uh':uh, 'thing_id':thing_id, 'id':id, 'renderstyle':'html', 'r':rval, 'text':"This is such an interesting comment!  Upboat me! x"}
        new_data_dict = dict((k, urllib.quote(v).replace('%20', '+')) for k, v in data.iteritems())
        new_data = 'thing_id=%(thing_id)s&text=%(text)s&id=%(id)s&r=%(r)s&uh=%(uh)s&renderstyle=%(renderstyle)s' %(new_data_dict)

        r = br.open(BASE_URL + '/api/comment', new_data)
        r.read()
        assert (r.code == 200), 'Bad HTTP Response'

if __name__ == '__main__':
    trans = Transaction()
    trans.run()