support for recursion. took a lot of time, probably a bit brittle, and a bunch of other changes got caught in the wake as i made it work. there are a couple candidates for making things generic in Module somewhere (somehow?), as a lot of stuff around replypath is reused for each class

dr.botzo.py

@@ -18,13 +18,19 @@ class Module(object):
     """Base class used for creating classes that have real functionality.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, config, server):
+    def __init__(self, config, server, modlist):
         """Constructor for a feature module. Inheritors should not do anything special
         here, instead they should implement register_handlers and do, or else this will
         be a very uneventful affair.
+
+        Classes that are interested in allowing an indirect call to their do routine
+        should add themselves to modlist inside their __init__. This will allow other
+        modules to call do and see if anything can handle text they may have seen (such
+        as in recursive commands).
         """
 
         self.config = config
+        self.modlist = modlist
         self.register_handlers(server)
 
     def register_handlers(self, server):
@@ -89,6 +95,50 @@ class Module(object):
 
         self.do(connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked)
 
+    def try_recursion(self, connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked):
+        """Upon seeing a line intended for this module, see if there are subcommands
+        that we should do what is basically a text replacement on. The intent is to
+        allow things like the following:
+
+        command arg1 [anothercommand arg1 arg2]
+
+        where the output of anothercommand is command's arg2..n. It's mostly for
+        amusement purposes, but maybe there are legitimate uses. This is intended to
+        be attempted after you've determined the line should be handled by your module.
+        """
+
+        start_idx = what.find('[')
+        subcmd = what[start_idx+1:]
+        end_idx = subcmd.rfind(']')
+        subcmd = subcmd[:end_idx]
+
+        attempt = what
+
+        if start_idx == -1 or end_idx == -1:
+            # no nested commands at all if replypath is a real value, so don't do a damn thing
+            if replypath is not None:
+                return attempt
+            # no more replacements found, see if what we had is workable
+            else:
+                for module in self.modlist:
+                    ret = module.do(connection, event, nick, userhost, None, attempt, admin_unlocked)
+                    if ret is not None:
+                        return ret
+
+                # if we got here, it's not workable. just return what we got
+                return attempt
+        else:
+            # we have a subcmd, see if there's another one nested
+            ret = self.try_recursion(connection, event, nick, userhost, None, subcmd, admin_unlocked)
+            if ret is not None:
+                blarg = attempt.replace('['+subcmd+']', ret)
+                if replypath is not None:
+                    return blarg
+                else:
+                    return self.try_recursion(connection, event, nick, userhost, None, blarg, admin_unlocked)
+            else:
+                return attempt
+
     def do(self, connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked):
         """Implement this method in your subclass to have a fairly-automatic hook into
         IRC functionality. This is called by the default on_pubmsg and on_privmsg
@@ -102,8 +152,9 @@ class GoogleTranslate(Module):
     http://code.google.com/apis/ajaxlanguage/documentation/
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, config, server):
+    def __init__(self, config, server, modlist):
-        super(GoogleTranslate, self).__init__(config, server)
+        super(GoogleTranslate, self).__init__(config, server, modlist)
+        modlist.append(self)
 
     def register_handlers(self, server):
         server.add_global_handler('pubmsg', self.on_pubmsg)
@@ -112,6 +163,10 @@ class GoogleTranslate(Module):
     def do(self, connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked):
         whats = what.split(' ')
         if whats[0] == 'translate' and len(whats) >= 4:
+            if replypath is not None:
+                what = self.try_recursion(connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked)
+                whats = what.split(' ')
+
             fromlang = whats[1]
             tolang = whats[2]
             text = ' '.join(whats[3:])
@@ -125,14 +180,18 @@ class GoogleTranslate(Module):
             translation = content[start_idx:]
             end_idx = translation.find('"}, "')
             translation = translation[:end_idx]
-            connection.privmsg(replypath, translation)
+            if replypath is None:
+                return translation
+            else:
+                connection.privmsg(replypath, translation)
 
 class Countdown(Module):
     """Class that adds a countdown item to the bot
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, config, server):
+    def __init__(self, config, server, modlist):
-        super(Countdown, self).__init__(config, server)
+        super(Countdown, self).__init__(config, server, modlist)
+        modlist.append(self)
 
     def register_handlers(self, server):
         server.add_global_handler('pubmsg', self.on_pubmsg)
@@ -141,6 +200,10 @@ class Countdown(Module):
     def do(self, connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked):
         whats = what.split(' ')
         if whats[0] == 'countdown' and len(whats) >= 2:
+            if replypath is not None:
+                what = self.try_recursion(connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked)
+                whats = what.split(' ')
+
             if whats[1] == 'add' and len(whats) >= 4:
                 item = whats[2]
                 target = parse(' '.join(whats[3:]), default=datetime.now().replace(tzinfo=tzlocal()))
@@ -148,11 +211,19 @@ class Countdown(Module):
                     self.config.add_section('countdown')
 
                 self.config.set('countdown', item, target.astimezone(tzutc()).isoformat())
-                connection.privmsg(replypath, 'added countdown item ' + whats[2])
+                replystr = 'added countdown item ' + whats[2]
+                if replypath is None:
+                    return replystr
+                else:
+                    connection.privmsg(replypath, replystr)
             elif whats[1] == 'remove':
                 try:
                     if self.config.remove_option('countdown', whats[2]):
-                        connection.privmsg(replypath, 'removed countdown item ' + whats[2])
+                        replystr = 'removed countdown item ' + whats[2]
+                        if replypath is None:
+                            return replystr
+                        else:
+                            connection.privmsg(replypath, replystr)
                 except NoSectionError: pass
             elif whats[1] == 'list':
                 try:
@@ -160,7 +231,10 @@ class Countdown(Module):
                     cdlist.remove('debug')
                     cdlist.sort()
                     liststr = ', '.join(cdlist)
-                    connection.privmsg(replypath, liststr)
+                    if replypath is None:
+                        return liststr
+                    else:
+                        connection.privmsg(replypath, liststr)
                 except NoSectionError: pass
             else:
                 try:
@@ -181,15 +255,19 @@ class Countdown(Module):
                     if rdelta.seconds != 0:
                         relstr += str(rdelta.seconds) + ' seconds'
                     #relstr += ' (' + timestr + ')'
-                    connection.privmsg(replypath, relstr)
+                    if replypath is None:
+                        return relstr
+                    else:
+                        connection.privmsg(replypath, relstr)
                 except NoOptionError: pass
 
 class Dice(Module):
     """Rolls dice, for RPGs mostly
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, config, server):
+    def __init__(self, config, server, modlist):
-        super(Dice, self).__init__(config, server)
+        super(Dice, self).__init__(config, server, modlist)
+        modlist.append(self)
 
     def register_handlers(self, server):
         server.add_global_handler('pubmsg', self.on_pubmsg)
@@ -259,15 +337,19 @@ class Dice(Module):
                     if t != times-1:
                         result += ', '
 
-                connection.privmsg(replypath, result)
+                if replypath is None:
+                    return result
+                else:
+                    connection.privmsg(replypath, result)
 
 class Seen(Module):
     """Keeps track of when people say things in public channels, and reports on when
     they last said something.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, config, server):
+    def __init__(self, config, server, modlist):
-        super(Seen, self).__init__(config, server)
+        super(Seen, self).__init__(config, server, modlist)
+        modlist.append(self)
 
     def register_handlers(self, server):
         server.add_global_handler('pubmsg', self.on_pubmsg)
@@ -283,20 +365,29 @@ class Seen(Module):
         # also see if it's a query
         whats = what.split(' ')
         if whats[0] == 'seen' and len(whats) >= 2:
+            if replypath is not None:
+                what = self.try_recursion(connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked)
+                whats = what.split(' ')
+
             query = whats[1]
             if query != 'debug':
                 try:
                     seendata = self.config.get('seen', query).split('|:|')
                     converted = datetime.strptime(seendata[1], "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%f").replace(tzinfo=tzutc())
-                    connection.privmsg(replypath, 'last saw ' + query + ' at ' + converted.astimezone(tzlocal()).strftime("%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S %Z") + ' saying \'' + seendata[2] + '\'')
+                    replystr = 'last saw ' + query + ' at ' + converted.astimezone(tzlocal()).strftime("%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S %Z") + ' saying \'' + seendata[2] + '\''
+                    if replypath is None:
+                        return replystr
+                    else:
+                        connection.privmsg(replypath, replystr)
                 except NoOptionError: pass
 
 class IrcAdmin(Module):
     """all kinds of miscellaneous irc stuff
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, config, server):
+    def __init__(self, config, server, modlist):
-        super(IrcAdmin, self).__init__(config, server)
+        super(IrcAdmin, self).__init__(config, server, modlist)
+        modlist.append(self)
 
     def register_handlers(self, server):
         server.add_global_handler('welcome', self.on_connect)
@@ -338,7 +429,11 @@ class IrcAdmin(Module):
             channel = whats[1]
             if irclib.is_channel(channel):
                 connection.join(channel)
-                connection.privmsg(replypath, 'joined ' + channel)
+                replystr = 'joined ' + channel
+                if replypath is None:
+                    return replystr
+                else:
+                    connection.privmsg(replypath, replystr)
 
     def sub_part_channel(self, connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked):
         whats = what.split(' ')
@@ -346,12 +441,17 @@ class IrcAdmin(Module):
             channel = whats[1]
             if irclib.is_channel(channel):
                 connection.part(channel, ' '.join(whats[2:]))
-                connection.privmsg(replypath, 'parted ' + channel)
+                replystr = 'parted ' + channel
+                if replypath is None:
+                    return replystr
+                else:
+                    connection.privmsg(replypath, replystr)
 
     def sub_quit_channel(self, connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked):
         whats = what.split(' ')
         if whats[0] == 'quit' and admin_unlocked:
-            connection.privmsg(replypath, 'quitting')
+            if replypath is not None:
+                connection.privmsg(replypath, 'quitting')
             connection.quit(' '.join(whats[1:]))
             with open('dr.botzo.cfg', 'w') as cfg:
                 self.config.write(cfg)
@@ -367,7 +467,11 @@ class IrcAdmin(Module):
                         channelset = set(self.config.get('channels', 'autojoin').split(','))
                         channelset.add(channel)
                         self.config.set('channels', 'autojoin', ','.join(channelset))
-                        connection.privmsg(replypath, 'added ' + channel + ' to autojoin')
+                        replystr = 'added ' + channel + ' to autojoin'
+                        if replypath is None:
+                            return replystr
+                        else:
+                            connection.privmsg(replypath, replystr)
                 except NoOptionError: pass
             elif whats[1] == 'remove':
                 try:
@@ -377,7 +481,11 @@ class IrcAdmin(Module):
                         channelset = set(self.config.get('channels', 'autojoin').split(','))
                         channelset.discard(channel)
                         self.config.set('channels', 'autojoin', ','.join(channelset))
-                        connection.privmsg(replypath, 'removed ' + channel + ' from autojoin')
+                        replystr = 'removed ' + channel + ' from autojoin'
+                        if replypath is None:
+                            return replystr
+                        else:
+                            connection.privmsg(replypath, replystr)
                 except NoOptionError: pass
 
     def sub_save_config(self, connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked):
@@ -385,7 +493,11 @@ class IrcAdmin(Module):
         if whats[0] == 'save' and admin_unlocked:
             with open('dr.botzo.cfg', 'w') as cfg:
                 self.config.write(cfg)
-            connection.privmsg(replypath, 'saved config file')
+            replystr = 'saved config file'
+            if replypath is None:
+                return replystr
+            else:
+                connection.privmsg(replypath, replystr)
 
     def sub_change_nick(self, connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked):
         whats = what.split(' ')
@@ -393,7 +505,11 @@ class IrcAdmin(Module):
             newnick = whats[1]
             connection.nick(newnick)
             self.config.set('IRC', 'nick', newnick)
-            connection.privmsg(replypath, 'changed nickname')
+            replystr = 'changed nickname'
+            if replypath is None:
+                return replystr
+            else:
+                connection.privmsg(replypath, replystr)
 
 #####
 # init
@@ -425,11 +541,13 @@ irclib.DEBUG = config.getboolean('IRC', 'debug')
 irc = irclib.IRC()
 server = irc.server().connect(botserver, botport, botnick, botircname)
 
-count   = Countdown(config, server)
+modlist = []
-dice    = Dice(config, server)
+
-admin   = IrcAdmin(config, server)
+count   = Countdown(config, server, modlist)
-gt      = GoogleTranslate(config, server)
+dice    = Dice(config, server, modlist)
-seen    = Seen(config, server)
+admin   = IrcAdmin(config, server, modlist)
+gt      = GoogleTranslate(config, server, modlist)
+seen    = Seen(config, server, modlist)
 
 # loop forever
 irc.process_forever()