I've updated and posted the myPyTunes script on Assembla using its Wiki/Trac/SVN project capabilities. I could put it on Google Code, but I figure I try Assembla out since somebody else recommended this to me before. Assembla maybe a bit of fluff, but I'll give it a whirl for now. myPyTunes has been recoded and I'm planning to classify (OOP) it for the next update. Another step will be to make it a fully integrated web application with server so it's completely portable. In due time I guess, but until then, here is the link to the Main Website and SVN http://www.assembla.com/wiki/show/mypytunes 

Inspired by the Controlling iTunes from the Terminal article explaining a bash shell command line script to (as the title says) control iTunes from the terminal. I liked this, but I felt I needed a bit more flexibility (meaning I want it coded in something i know better), and I really like Python (especially when i decide to class-ify this script), so I decided to port it over to Python.

I found this useful to have installed on the Mac Mini sitting on a desk while i was across the room on my Powerbook. Very handy since I didn't want to have to get up every time I wanted to change the song, or pause it when the phone rang, etc. So far its a pretty clean traslation over with a few modified functions, and a few functions I've thrown in from other posts I had seen, or functions I feel would be cool to be added.

I've only tested this on OSX 10.4.11 - iTunes 7.6, so even though I believe it should work on other versions of iTunes/OSX, don't take my word for it, but please let me know if you do run into any problems with it. Right now i'll upload the file along with this blog, but i'll be sure to use a versioning tool as i make updates.

Download myPyTunes here - Right click the link and choose "Save As.."

Here is the basic help menu when you type in "itunes -h":

----------------------------------------------------------
iTunes Command Line Interface 
----------------------------------------------------------
Usage: /usr/bin/itunes <option>
Options:
status = Shows iTunes' status,
current artist, and track.
play = Start playing iTunes.
stop = Stop iTunes
pause = Pause iTunes.
playpause = Play/Pause iTunes.
next = Go to the next track.
prev = Go to the previous track.
mute = Mute iTunes' volume.
unmute = Unmute iTunes' volume.
vol up = Increase iTunes' volume by 10%
vol down = Increase iTunes' volume by 10%
vol # = Set iTunes' volume to # [0-100]
quit = Quit iTunes launch = Launch iTunes
playlist @ = Play iTunes' playlist named @"
list = list playlists.
shuf = turn on shuffle playlist
noshuf = turn off shuffle playlist
ostream = open stream
help = what's showing now
----------------------------------------------------------

i was writing up some code in python and had several if/else like statements that i figured would require a better syntax and figured that the switch/case method would possibly be a better way to handle it. lo and behold, after research...there's no switch/case like statement!! i found several ways of solving the issue, which seem to be rather interesting.

many people thought that the if/else was probably the best way to go...of course we can't have that, and continued to find some people stating to use the dict like command to determine your call. for example:

def performAction1():
   print "some crap"
def performAction2():
   print "some more crap"
{ 
   "action1": performAction1, 
   "action2": performAction2, 
   ...etc... 
}[actionToPerformString]()

this seemed to be a good way to do it, but something about the actionToPerformString trailing like that bothered me, so there was also this method which seemed to be more visually pleasing to me:

def defaultActionToPerform():
   print "default crap"
action = {
   "action1": performAction1,
   "action2": performAction2,
   ...etc...
}
action.get(actionToPerformString, defaultActionToPerform)()

as you can see, it also allowed for a default function to be called, plus it reall just does look cleaner. if anybody has a more elegant solution, please feel free to comment.

simple…i know, but you’d be surprised how many ppl don’t know this.

Terminal:

$ rm -rf directory

Python:

>>> shutil.rmtree("/some/dir")

can definitely come in handy