ncurses and urwid examples based on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN1eZtjLEnU

chucknorris-quotes-ncurses.py

#!/usr/bin/python2
import curses

from urllib2 import urlopen
from simplejson import loads
from HTMLParser import HTMLParser

JOKES_API = 'http://api.icndb.com/jokes/random'

def get_new_joke():
    resp = urlopen(JOKES_API).read()
    data = loads(resp)
    joke = data['value']['joke']
    joke = HTMLParser().unescape(joke)
    return joke

stdscr = curses.initscr()

curses.noecho()
curses.cbreak()
curses.curs_set(0)

if curses.has_colors():
    curses.start_color()

curses.init_pair(1, curses.COLOR_RED, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
curses.init_pair(2, curses.COLOR_GREEN, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
curses.init_pair(3, curses.COLOR_BLUE, curses.COLOR_BLACK)

stdscr.addstr('RANDOM QUOTES', curses.A_REVERSE)
stdscr.chgat(-1, curses.A_REVERSE)

stdscr.addstr(curses.LINES - 1, 0, 'Press "R" to get a new quote. "Q" to quit!')

stdscr.chgat(curses.LINES - 1,  7, 1, curses.A_BOLD | curses.color_pair(2))
stdscr.chgat(curses.LINES - 1, 31, 1, curses.A_BOLD | curses.color_pair(1))

quote_window = curses.newwin(curses.LINES - 2, curses.COLS, 1, 0)
quote_text_window = quote_window.subwin(curses.LINES - 6, curses.COLS - 4, 3, 2)
quote_text_window.addstr('Press "R" to get your first quote!')

quote_window.box()

stdscr.noutrefresh()
quote_window.noutrefresh()

curses.doupdate()

while True:
    c = quote_window.getch()

    if c in (ord('r'), ord('R')):
        quote_text_window.clear()
        quote_text_window.addstr('Getting quote...', curses.color_pair(3))
        quote_text_window.refresh()
        quote_text_window.clear()
        quote_text_window.addstr(get_new_joke())

    elif c in (ord('q'), ord('Q')):
        break

    stdscr.noutrefresh()
    quote_window.noutrefresh()
    quote_text_window.noutrefresh()
    curses.doupdate()

curses.nocbreak()
curses.echo()
curses.curs_set(1)
curses.endwin()

chucknorris-quotes-urwid.py

#!/usr/bin/python2
import urwid

from urllib2 import urlopen
from HTMLParser import HTMLParser
from simplejson import loads

JOKES_API = 'http://api.icndb.com/jokes/random'


palette = [
    ('titlebar', 'black', 'white'),
    ('refresh button', 'dark green,bold', 'black'),
    ('quit button', 'dark red,bold', 'black'),
    ('getting quote', 'dark blue', 'black'),
]

header_text = urwid.Text(u'RANDOM QUOTES')
header = urwid.AttrMap(header_text, 'titlebar')

menu = urwid.Text([
    u'Press (',
    ('refresh button', u'R'),
    u') to get a new quote. Press (',
    ('quit button', u'Q'),
    u') to quit.'
])

quote_text = urwid.Text(u'Press (R) to get your first quote!')
quote_filler = urwid.Filler(quote_text, valign='top', top=1, bottom=1)
v_padding = urwid.Padding(quote_filler, left=1, right=1)
quote_box = urwid.LineBox(v_padding)

layout = urwid.Frame(header=header, body=quote_box, footer=menu)

def get_new_joke():
    resp = urlopen(JOKES_API).read()
    data = loads(resp)
    joke = data['value']['joke']
    joke = HTMLParser().unescape(joke)
    return joke

def handle_input(key):
    if key in ('r', 'R'):
        quote_box.base_widget.set_text(
            ('getting quote', 'Getting new quote...')
        )
        main_loop.draw_screen()
        quote_box.base_widget.set_text(get_new_joke())
    elif key in ('q', 'Q'):
        raise urwid.ExitMainLoop()

main_loop = urwid.MainLoop(layout, palette, unhandled_input=handle_input)
main_loop.run()