Sends an Apple Push Notification with Python

apns.py

import socket, ssl, json, struct
import binascii

# device token returned when the iPhone application
# registers to receive alerts
deviceToken = '39cac56f 986a0e66 3c4fd4f4 68df5598 024d2ca3 8b9f307c 741c180e 9fc30c62'

thePayLoad = {
     'aps': {
          'alert':'Oh no! Server\'s Down!',
          'sound':'k1DiveAlarm.caf',
          'badge':42,
          },
     'test_data': { 'foo': 'bar' },
     }

# Certificate issued by apple and converted to .pem format with openSSL
theCertfile = 'cert_ios_production.pem'
# 
theHost = ( 'gateway.push.apple.com', 2195 )

# 
data = json.dumps( thePayLoad )

# Clear out spaces in the device token and convert to hex
deviceToken = deviceToken.replace(' ','')
# byteToken = bytes.fromhex( deviceToken )
byteToken = binascii.unhexlify(deviceToken)

print("HELLOS")
print(byteToken)

theFormat = '!BH32sH%ds' % len(data)
theNotification = struct.pack( theFormat, 0, 32, byteToken, len(data), data )

#Just writing to a file for hex inspection
f = open('the_notification', 'w')
f.write(theNotification)
f.close()

# Create our connection using the certfile saved locally
ssl_sock = ssl.wrap_socket( socket.socket( socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM ), certfile = theCertfile )
ssl_sock.connect( theHost )

# Write out our data
ssl_sock.write( theNotification )

# Close the connection -- apple would prefer that we keep
# a connection open and push data as needed.
ssl_sock.close()

Thank you for submitting this code.

Small warning, the notification packet format used is an old one. Notice the initial command "0". The current command version is "1". For the updated format please consult the updated Apple documentation:
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/RemoteNotificationsPG/Chapters/CommunicatingWIthAPS.html