See what someone else sees on their Twitter timeline by mirroring their timeline to a Twitter list

timeline_list.py

#!/usr/bin/python3

import tweepy
import argparse

# Fill out Twitter API credentials below
consumer_key = 'xxxx'
consumer_secret = 'xxxx'
access_token = 'xxxx'
access_secret = 'xxxx'


parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Mirror someone's Twitter timeline onto a Twitter list.")
parser.add_argument('-u',
                    '--username',
                    type=str,
                    required=True,
                    help='The user whose timeline you want to mirror')
parser.add_argument('-l',
                    '--list_name',
                    type=str,
                    default=None,
                    help="Name of the new Twitter list")
args = parser.parse_args()

auth = tweepy.OAuthHandler(consumer_key, consumer_secret)
auth.set_access_token(access_token, access_secret)
twitter = tweepy.API(auth)

def y_n_prompt(prompt: str):
    response = input(f"{prompt} (Y/N) ")
    if response.lower() == 'y':
        return True
    return False

def _get_existing_list(name: str):
    for list in twitter.lists_all(screen_name=twitter.me().screen_name):
        if list.name == name:
            modify = y_n_prompt(prompt=f"The list '{name}' already exists on your account.\n"
                                       f"Would you like to modify this list?")
            if not modify:
                print("Exiting...")
                exit(0)
            return list
    return None

def _clear_list_members(list):
    for member in twitter.list_members(list_id=list.id):
        if not remove_user_from_list(user=member, list=list):
            print(f"Could not remove {member.screen_name} from list.")

def create_list(name: str, description: str = None, private: bool = False):
    return twitter.create_list(name=name, mode=('private' if private else 'public'), description=description)

def _strip_at(screen_name: str):
    if screen_name.startswith("@"):
        return screen_name[1:]
    return screen_name

def _make_full_url(uri: str):
    return f"https://twitter.com{uri}"

def add_user_to_list(user, list):
    try:
        twitter.add_list_members(user_id=[user.id], list_id=list.id)
        return True
    except:
        return False

def remove_user_from_list(user, list):
    try:
        twitter.remove_list_members(user_id=[user.id], list_id=list.id)
        return True
    except:
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    user_screen_name = args.username
    list_name = args.list_name
    if not list_name:
        list_name = f"What {user_screen_name} Sees"
    try:
        target_user = twitter.get_user(screen_name=user_screen_name)
    except:
        raise Exception(f"Could not find {user_screen_name}")
    twitter_list = _get_existing_list(name=list_name)
    if twitter_list:
        print(f"Resetting members of '{list_name}'...")
        _clear_list_members(list=twitter_list)
    elif not twitter_list:
        print(f"Creating '{list_name}' list...")
        twitter_list = create_list(name=list_name)
    for user in tweepy.Cursor(twitter.friends, screen_name=_strip_at(screen_name=user_screen_name)).items():
        if add_user_to_list(user=user, list=twitter_list):
            print(f"Added {user.screen_name}.")
        else:
            print(f"Could not add {user.screen_name}")
    if add_user_to_list(user=target_user, list=twitter_list):
        print(f"Added {target_user.screen_name}.")
    else:
        print(f"Could not add {target_user.screen_name}")
    print(f"View at {_make_full_url(twitter_list.uri)}")