Find an available name on Twitter

twitter_name.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
"""
Find a name in Twitter's packed namespace

Type in a word like your name and get some variations.
"""
import os
import sys


def cycle(word, prepend=''):
    words = set([prepend+word])

    if len(word) == 1:
        return words

    for idx, char in enumerate(word):
        _word = word[idx:] + word[:idx]
        words.update(cycle(_word[1:], prepend=prepend+_word[0]))

    return words


if __name__ == '__main__':
    try:
        name = sys.argv[1]
    except IndexError:
        SCRIPT_NAME = os.path.basename(sys.argv[0])
        sys.exit('{} <name>'.format(SCRIPT_NAME))

    print '\n'.join(cycle(name))