Classes for Facebook graph API and Twitter access

Question

Given below is code which I wrote to provide an easy access to Facebook graph API.

import simplejson as json
import urllib

class Facebook ():

def __init__ (self, access_token):

    self.access_token = access_token
    self.id = None
    self.name = None

def user_information (self, fbuser = "me"):

    """ 
    returns User Information ; fbuser can be the facebook id of any user ;
    for the current user it is 'me'

    """
    profile = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
    self.id = str(profile["id"])
    self.name = str(profile["name"])
    user = dict(key_name=str(profile["id"]), id=str(profile["id"]),  name=profile["name"], access_token=self.access_token, profile_url=profile["link"])
    return user

def get_friends (self, maxPage = 4, fbuser = "me"):

    """
    Gets the list of friends , maxPage : Pages need to be accessed ; 4 can cober most of the friendlist ; will ensure that data is returned within 60 secs
    """
    friends = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/friends?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
    Friends = []
    while "next" in friends["paging"]:
        if maxPage == 0:
            break
        maxPage = maxPage - 1
        Friends = Friends + friends["data"]
        friends = json.load(urllib.urlopen(friends["paging"]["next"]))
    return Friends

def get_user_wall (self, max_pages = 2, fbuser = "me"):
    """
    gets User Wall 
    """

    user_feeds = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/feed?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
    Data = []
    while True :
        try:
            Data = Data + user_feeds["data"]
            user_feeds = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_feeds["paging"]["next"]))
            max_pages = max_pages-1
            if max_pages < 1 :
                break
        except:
            break
    return Data

def get_user_comments_story (self, fbuser = "me"):
    """
    gets User Comments 
    """

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "story" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["story"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_picture(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "picture" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["picture"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_from(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "from" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["from"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_name(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "name" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["name"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_caption(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "caption" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["caption"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_description(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "description" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["description"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_comments(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "comments" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["comments"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_updated_time(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "updated_time" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["updated_time"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_type(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "type" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["type"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_id(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "id" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["id"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_comments_likes(self, fbuser = "me"):

    UserWall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser = fbuser)
    returnData = []

    for feed in UserWall :
        if "likes" in feed:
            returnData.append(feed["likes"])

    return returnData 

def get_user_likes (self, fbuser = "me"):

    user_likes = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/likes?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
    returnData = []

    while True:
        try:
            returnData = returnData + [x["name"] for x in user_likes["data"]]
            user_likes = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_likes["paging"]["next"]))
        except:
            break

    return returnData

def get_user_movies (self, fbuser = "me"):

    user_movies = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/movies?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
    returnData = []

    while True:

        try:
            returnData = returnData + [ x["name"] for x in user_movies["data"]]
            user_movies = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_movies["paging"]["next"]))
        except:
            break


    return returnData

def get_user_music (self, fbuser = "me"):

     user_music = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/music?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
     returnData = []

     while True:

         try:
             returnData = returnData + [ x["name"] for x in user_music["data"]]
             user_music = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_music["paging"]["next"]))
         except:
            break

     return returnData

def get_user_books (self, fbuser = "me"):

     user_book = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/books?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
     returnData = []

     while True:

         try:
             returnData = returnData + [ x["name"] for x in user_book["data"]]
             user_book = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_book["paging"]["next"]))
         except:
            break

     return returnData

def get_user_notes (self, fbuser = "me"):

     user_notes = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/notes?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
     returnData = []

     while True:

         try:
             returnData = returnData + [ x["name"] for x in user_notes["data"]]
             user_notes = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_notes["paging"]["next"]))
         except:
            break

     return returnData

def get_user_photos (self, fbuser = "me"):

     user_photos = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/photos?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
     returnData = []

     while True:

         try:
             returnData = returnData + [ x["name"] for x in user_photos["data"]]
             user_photos = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_photos["paging"]["next"]))
         except:
            break

     return returnData

def get_user_events(self, fbuser = "me"):

     user_notes = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/events?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
     returnData = []

     while True:

         try:
             returnData = returnData + [ x for x in user_notes["data"]]
             user_notes = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_notes["paging"]["next"]))
         except:
            break

     return returnData

def get_user_groups (self, fbuser = "me"):

     user_notes = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/groups?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
     returnData = []

     while True:

         try:
             returnData = returnData + [ x["name"] for x in user_notes["data"]]
             user_notes = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_notes["paging"]["next"]))
         except:
            break

     return returnData

def get_user_places (self, fbuser = "me"):

     user_places = json.load(urllib.urlopen("https://graph.facebook.com/" + fbuser + "/locations?" + urllib.urlencode(dict(access_token=self.access_token))))
     returnData = {}

     while True:

         try:
             tempData = [ x["place"]["name"] for x in user_places["data"]]
             for place in tempData:
                 if place in returnData:
                     returnData[place] = returnData[place]+1
                 else:
                     returnData[place] = 0
             user_places = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_places["paging"]["next"]))
         except:
            break

     return returnData

def all_user_data (self):

    String = ""

    String = String + "\n USer Information \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.user_information('502291155'))
    """
    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n Friends \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_friends())


    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_books \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_books())
    """

    return String
    """
    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_caption \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_caption())

    return String
    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_comments \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_comments())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_description \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_description())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_from \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_from())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_id \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_id())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_likes \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_likes())

    return String """

def all_user_data1 (self):

    String = ""

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_name \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_name())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_picture \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_picture())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_story \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_story())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_type \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_type())



    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_comments_updated_time \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_comments_updated_time())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_events \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_events())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_groups \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_groups())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_likes \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_likes())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_movies \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_movies())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_music \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_music())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_notes \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_notes())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_photos \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_photos())



    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_places \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_places())

    String = String + "_____________________________________________________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + "\n user_wall \n"
    String = String + "________________________________________\n\n\n"
    String = String + str(self.get_user_wall())

    return String

I also have similar code for Twitter access:

import tweepy
import TwitterConfig as config_twitter

class Twitter :

def __init__(self):
    self.CONSUMER_KEY = config_twitter.get_consumer_key() 
    self.CONSUMER_SECRET = config_twitter.get_consumer_secret()
    self.oauth_token = None
    self.oauth_verifier = None
    self.api = None

def get_auth_url(self):
    self.auth = tweepy.OAuthHandler(self.CONSUMER_KEY, self.CONSUMER_SECRET)
    return self.auth.get_authorization_url()

def get_request_token(self):
    return (self.auth.request_token.key,self.auth.request_token.secret)

def set_token(self,token):
    self.oauth_token = token

def set_verifier(self,verifier):
    self.oauth_verifier = verifier

def set_request_token (self,ReqToken):
    self.request_token = ReqToken

def get_access_token (self):
    self.auth = tweepy.OAuthHandler(self.CONSUMER_KEY, self.CONSUMER_SECRET)
    token = self.request_token
    #session.delete('request_token')
    self.auth.set_request_token(token[0],token[1])
    self.auth.get_access_token(self.oauth_verifier)

def authorize (self):
    key = self.auth.access_token.key
    secret = self.auth.access_token.secret
    self.auth = tweepy.OAuthHandler(self.CONSUMER_KEY, self.CONSUMER_SECRET)
    self.auth.set_access_token(key, secret)
    self.api = tweepy.API(self.auth)

def update_status(self,status):
    if self.oauth_token == None or self.oauth_verifier == None or self.api == None :
        return "Verification Problem"
    self.api.update_status (status)
    return "Done"

def user_information (self):
    # returns information of the authenticate user
    if self.oauth_token == None or self.oauth_verifier == None or self.api == None :
        return "Verification Problem"
    return self.api.me()

def get_friends (self):
    if self.oauth_token == None or self.oauth_verifier == None or self.api == None :
        return ["Verification Problem"]
    return self.api.GetFriends(self.user_information().name)

def get_followers (self):
    if self.oauth_token == None or self.oauth_verifier == None or self.api == None :
        return ["Verification Problem"]
    return self.api.GetFollowers()

def get_followers_id (self):
    if self.oauth_token == None or self.oauth_verifier == None or self.api == None :
        return "Verification Problem"
    return self.api.followers_ids()

def get_friends_ids (self):
    # returns ids of the friends
    if self.oauth_token == None or self.oauth_verifier == None or self.api == None :
        return "Verification Problem"
    return self.api.friends_ids()

def get_rate_limit_status (self):
    #returns the rate limit status of the authenticated user
    return self.api.rate_limit_status()

def get_tweets(self):
    if self.oauth_token == None or self.oauth_verifier == None or self.api == None :
        return ["Verification Problem"]
    me = self.user_information()
    statuses = self.api.GetUseerTimeline(me.name)
    return statuses

def get_messages(self):
    if self.oauth_token == None or self.oauth_verifier == None or self.api == None :
        return ["Verification Problem"]
    return self.api.GetDirectMessages()

The complete code is available here. I'd appreciate any and all comments-- correctness, style, best practices, logging, error handling.

Answer 1

import urllib

You should take a look at Requests, a much simpler, cleaner module which is becoming the defacto standard for doing this sort of stuff.

self.id = str(profile["id"])
self.name = str(profile["name"])

If facebook returns data which doesn't have an ID or Name attribute, this will raise an unhandled exception. You should either wrap these clauses with Try/except KeyError clauses, or provide a default with profile.get(id, None).

user = dict(key_name=str(profile["id"]), id=str(profile["id"]),  name=profile["name"], access_token=self.access_token, profile_url=profile["link"])

This is a rather long line, and probably violates PEP-8's line length recommendations. Not everybody/every project follow PEP8 on line length -- Django, for example doesn't always, but it's something to be aware of. If pyflakes or other linters will catch this for you.

Friends = []

generally uppercase vars are reserved for classes or class factories. In general, having friends and a Friends variables just seems like asking for trouble -- way to much potential confusion there. I'd rename friends to something like raw_friend_data and Friends to friends or friend_list.

while "next" in friends["paging"]:
    if maxPage == 0:

More pythonic is:

if not max_page:

In general, use snake_case rather than CamelCase.

    try:
        Data = Data + user_feeds["data"]
        user_feeds = json.load(urllib.urlopen(user_feeds["paging"]["next"]))
        max_pages = max_pages-1
        if max_pages < 1 :
            break
    except:
        break

Why have you wrapped this chunk of code in a Try/Except but not other similar chunks? It's not a bad idea, but I'd refactor to:

url = "https://graph.facebook.com/%s/feed?" % fbuser
try:
    response = requests.get(url,params=dict(access_token=self.access_token)
    user_feeds = json.load(response)
except ConnectionError:
    print("There was a problem connecting to FacePalm.")
    Return False

user_wall_data = user_wall_data + user_feeds["data"]         
max_pages = max_pages-1
if not max_pages:
    break
return user_wall_data

Key points about the above:

It's generally a Bad Idea to have a generic except clause, because it will hide every error the code inside Try raises, making it a major pain to debug. try/except should be used for very specific conditions, such as: I'm getting a bunch of data from FacePalm, it maybe foobar'd, in which case my code could raise a FooBarException, which I can then handle by Quuxing the Bars.

def all_user_data (self):

    String = ""
    String = String + "\n USer Information \n"

This type of data should be segregated from your code into a separate data file which is then read into the main script. This is very easy to do: you can create and read from a file object with file = open('/path/to/data/', 'r+') and then file.read() to get the data. You may want to take a look a the python docs for file objects to familiarize yourself with the reading/writing modes in which you can open a file, as well as opening a file with a context manager, which is a nice pattern that allows you to do stuff like:

with open('/path/to/data/', 'r+')` as file: 
    foo_data = file.read()

One of the advantages of this is that the context manager will close the file for you when its block of code exits.

Answer 2

A very important point that was not mentioned is too much duplication in your code. You could generalize many methods, for example get_user_comments_comments and get_user_comments_updated_time, like this:

def get_user_data(self, fbuser, field):
    wall = self.get_user_wall(fbuser=fbuser)
    return [feed[field] for feed in wall if field in feed]

def get_user_comments_comments(self, fbuser = "me"):
    self.get_user_data(fbuser, 'comments')

def get_user_comments_updated_time(self, fbuser = "me"):
    self.get_user_data(fbuser, 'updated_time')

Also notice the simplified code using list comprehensions.