Thanks to all who helped me with my questions regarding testing for commandline arguments and list assignment. I have finished my first Python program (included below). It is slightly more secure than the Perl program I rewrote, but also about a tenth of a second slower (0.6 seconds for Perl on average (100 trials) and 0.7 seconds for Python).
Is that typical of Python programs? I like Python so far, and I'm not
going to go crazy optimizing working code, but I am curious.
Any pointers, suggestions, etc. are welcome.
One last thing - is there an equivalent of the "use strict" and "use
warnings" pragmas in Python? Thanks.
--
yours,
William
#!/usr/bin/python
import os, sys, random, imghdr
# This is a little program I call via cron to change my desktop every
# few minutes. With no arguments it goes to my directory of backdrop
# images and picks a valid image at random. If I specify a path and a
# file the program will put it up as the display.
# I don't want to fill up my inbox with emails from cron telling me that
# X isn't running, so I check first.
xisrunning = os.popen("pidof /usr/bin/X11/X").read()
def changebackdrop():
# The below command works for transparent Eterm or Urxvt terminals,
# populating their backgrounds with the image they occlude. xli or
# xsetroot can be called, but they don't work as desired for
# transparent terminals.
command = "/usr/bin/Esetroot"
# If I was logging into X remotely, this would change.
commandargs = " -display :0.0 "
# This is where my backdrops live
picdir = "/home/willyyam/misc/bmps/"
if sys.argv[1:]:
doit = command + commandargs + sys.argv[1]
os.popen(doit, 'r')
else:
files = os.listdir(picdir)
os.chdir(picdir)
pics = []
for file in files:
# This is a test for valid images - it includes rgb files,
# which are not supported by my image software, but the
# error thrown is not terrible - the image software knows
# what it can and cannot run.
if imghdr.what(file):
pics.append(file)
randpic = random.choice(pics)
doit = command + commandargs + picdir + randpic
os.popen(doit, 'r')
if xisrunning:
changebackdrop()
else:
exit
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