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Base64 encode-decode Five Liner (Python recipe) by ccpizza
ActiveState Code (http://code.activestate.com/recipes/577626/)

Encodes or decodes base64-encoded files. If the input or output file(s) are ommited standard input/output will be used.

The encoding direction is detected from the file name: for decoding save the script e.g. as encode64.py. For decoding create a symlink with decode in the name.

Python, 8 lines
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#!/usr/bin/env python

import base64
import sys

encode_or_decode = 'encode' in sys.argv[0].lower() and base64.encode or 'decode' in sys.argv[0].lower() and base64.decode or (sys.stderr.write("Error: script name must contain 'encode' or 'decode'!\n") or sys.exit(-1))

encode_or_decode(len(sys.argv) > 1 and open(sys.argv[1]) or sys.stdin, len(sys.argv) > 2 and open(sys.argv[2],'w') or sys.stdout)
Tags: base64

3 comments

James Mills 13 years ago  # | flag

Can you break up the long lines? They aren't wrapping!

Sunjay Varma 13 years ago  # | flag

Python is a very great language. Putting all your code on 2 or 4 lines really will not make a difference in Python. The only thing it will do is make your code harder to read and edit later on.

This code will be less error prone as well:

#!/usr/bin/env python

import base64
import sys

if 'encode' in sys.argv[0].lower():
    encode_or_decode = base64.encode 
elif 'decode' in sys.argv[0].lower():
    encode_or_decode = base64.decode
else:
    sys.stderr.write("Error: script name must contain 'encode' or 'decode'!\n")
    sys.exit(-1)

if len(sys.argv) > 1: # we have an input file!
    inputfile = open(sys.argv[1])
else:
    inputfile = sys.stdin

if len(sys.argv) > 2: # we have an output file!
    outputfile = open(sys.argv[2], 'w')
else:
    outputfile = sys.stdout
encode_or_decode(inputfile, outputfile)

With the now longer code, you can also add things like the ability to provide only an output file.

-Sunjay03

ccpizza (author) 13 years ago  # | flag

Thanks Sunjay for brushing it up! I have to keep reminding myself that white space is the main element of design.

Created by ccpizza on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 (MIT)
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