Stick this in a python script to self update the script from an online source

self-update-script.py

def update(dl_url, force_update=False):
    """
Attempts to download the update url in order to find if an update is needed.
If an update is needed, the current script is backed up and the update is
saved in its place.
"""
    import urllib
    import re
    from subprocess import call
    def compare_versions(vA, vB):
        """
Compares two version number strings
@param vA: first version string to compare
@param vB: second version string to compare
@author <a href="http_stream://sebthom.de/136-comparing-version-numbers-in-jython-pytho/">Sebastian Thomschke</a>
@return negative if vA < vB, zero if vA == vB, positive if vA > vB.
"""
        if vA == vB: return 0

        def num(s):
            if s.isdigit(): return int(s)
            return s

        seqA = map(num, re.findall('\d+|\w+', vA.replace('-SNAPSHOT', '')))
        seqB = map(num, re.findall('\d+|\w+', vB.replace('-SNAPSHOT', '')))

        # this is to ensure that 1.0 == 1.0.0 in cmp(..)
        lenA, lenB = len(seqA), len(seqB)
        for i in range(lenA, lenB): seqA += (0,)
        for i in range(lenB, lenA): seqB += (0,)

        rc = cmp(seqA, seqB)

        if rc == 0:
            if vA.endswith('-SNAPSHOT'): return -1
            if vB.endswith('-SNAPSHOT'): return 1
        return rc

    # dl the first 256 bytes and parse it for version number
    try:
        http_stream = urllib.urlopen(dl_url)
        update_file = http_stream.read(256)
        http_stream.close()
    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
        print "Unable to retrieve version data"
        print "Error %s: %s" % (errno, strerror)
        return

    match_regex = re.search(r'__version__ *= *"(\S+)"', update_file)
    if not match_regex:
        print "No version info could be found"
        return
    update_version = match_regex.group(1)

    if not update_version:
        print "Unable to parse version data"
        return

    if force_update:
        print "Forcing update, downloading version %s..." \
            % update_version
    else:
        cmp_result = compare_versions(__version__, update_version)
        if cmp_result < 0:
            print "Newer version %s available, downloading..." % update_version
        elif cmp_result > 0:
            print "Local version %s newer then available %s, not updating." \
                % (__version__, update_version)
            return
        else:
            print "You already have the latest version."
            return

    # dl, backup, and save the updated script
    app_path = os.path.realpath(sys.argv[0])

    if not os.access(app_path, os.W_OK):
        print "Cannot update -- unable to write to %s" % app_path

    dl_path = app_path + ".new"
    backup_path = app_path + ".old"
    try:
        dl_file = open(dl_path, 'w')
        http_stream = urllib.urlopen(dl_url)
        total_size = None
        bytes_so_far = 0
        chunk_size = 8192
        try:
            total_size = int(http_stream.info().getheader('Content-Length').strip())
        except:
            # The header is improper or missing Content-Length, just download
            dl_file.write(http_stream.read())

        while total_size:
            chunk = http_stream.read(chunk_size)
            dl_file.write(chunk)
            bytes_so_far += len(chunk)

            if not chunk:
                break

            percent = float(bytes_so_far) / total_size
            percent = round(percent*100, 2)
            sys.stdout.write("Downloaded %d of %d bytes (%0.2f%%)\r" %
                (bytes_so_far, total_size, percent))

            if bytes_so_far >= total_size:
                sys.stdout.write('\n')

        http_stream.close()
        dl_file.close()
    except IOError, (errno, strerror):
        print "Download failed"
        print "Error %s: %s" % (errno, strerror)
        return

    try:
        os.rename(app_path, backup_path)
    except OSError, (errno, strerror):
        print "Unable to rename %s to %s: (%d) %s" \
            % (app_path, backup_path, errno, strerror)
        return

    try:
        os.rename(dl_path, app_path)
    except OSError, (errno, strerror):
        print "Unable to rename %s to %s: (%d) %s" \
            % (dl_path, app_path, errno, strerror)
        return

    try:
        import shutil
        shutil.copymode(backup_path, app_path)
    except:
        os.chmod(app_path, 0755)

    print "New version installed as %s" % app_path
    print "(previous version backed up to %s)" % (backup_path)
    return

Can SomeOne Tell Me What this Script Will do And Why Should One Use It

It'll look online at a URL you provided and compare the version the user is running with the version online. If the one online is newer, this will download that newer version and replace the script so that its update to date. Whenever a new version is pushed out, the application can always fetch the most up to date version. You could have it auto do this or you could give your end users the option to "check for updates". Just makes it easier for them to stay up to date.

T

This needs to get updated. Almost everything has changed since this was last updated even though the method is still accurate.