simple github branch creation functions via rest api

github.py

import requests


class GitHubClient(object):
    def __init__(self, api_token, verify_ssl=True):
        self.api_token = api_token
        self.headers = {'Authorization': 'token {}'.format(api_token)}
        self.verify_ssl = verify_ssl

    def get_branches(self, username, repository):
        url = 'https://api.github.com/repos/{username}/{repository}/branches'.format(username=username, repository=repository)
        r = requests.get(url, headers=self.headers, verify=self.verify_ssl)
        r.raise_for_status()
        result = r.json()
        result = map(lambda x: x['name'], result)
        return result

    def create_branch(self, username, repository, new_branch_name, from_branch_name='master'):
        from_branch_info = self.get_branch_info(username, repository, from_branch_name)
        new_branch_info = self.get_branch_info(username, repository, new_branch_name)

        if not self._is_branch_exists(from_branch_info):
            raise Exception('branch "{}" does not exist'.format(from_branch_name))

        if self._is_branch_exists(new_branch_info):
            raise Exception('branch "{}" already exist'.format(new_branch_name))

        data = {
            'ref': 'refs/heads/{}'.format(new_branch_name),
            'sha': from_branch_info['commit']['sha']
        }
        url = 'https://api.github.com/repos/{username}/{repository}/git/refs'.format(username=username, repository=repository)
        r = requests.post(url, headers=self.headers, json=data, verify=self.verify_ssl)
        r.raise_for_status()

    def delete_branch(self, username, repository, branch_name):
        url = 'https://api.github.com/repos/{username}/{repository}/git/refs/heads/{branch_name}'.format(username=username, repository=repository, branch_name=branch_name)
        r = requests.delete(url, headers=self.headers, verify=self.verify_ssl)
        r.raise_for_status()

    def get_branch_info(self, username, repository, branch_name):
        url = 'https://api.github.com/repos/{username}/{repository}/branches/{branch_name}'.format(username=username, repository=repository, branch_name=branch_name)
        r = requests.get(url, headers=self.headers, verify=self.verify_ssl)

        try:
            utils.raise_for_status(r)
            result = r.json()
            return result
        except:
            return {}

    def is_branch_exists(self, username, repository, branch_name):
        branch_info = self.get_branch_info(username, repository, branch_name)
        return self._is_branch_exists(branch_info)

    def _is_branch_exists(self, branch_info):
        branch_sha = branch_info.get('commit', {}).get('sha')
        return bool(branch_sha)