conky - Gmail new email information (perl version 1)

[hakerdefo]

After fiddling with snakes (read Python) & gem hunting (read Ruby), finally I have found the pearl of wisdom to wash away the conky blues 

First install these script dependencies,

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sudo apt-get install perl
sudo apt-get install libxml-simple-perl
sudo apt-get install libwww-perl

Next copy-paste following code in your text-editor,

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#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use XML::Simple;
use LWP::Simple;
my $u = $ARGV[0];
my $p = $ARGV[1];
my $xmldata = get("https://$u:$p\@mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom");
my $xml = new XML::Simple;
my $data = $xml->XMLin($xmldata);
my @arr = reverse sort keys %{$data->{'entry'}};
if (@arr != 0 ) {
print "[$u] :: New mails ". @arr ."\n";
my $n = 3;
$n = @arr if @arr < 3;
for(my $i = 0; $i < $n; $i++) {
    my $title = substr $data->{'entry'}->{$arr[$i]}->{'title'}, 0, 45;
    my $frm = substr $data->{'entry'}->{$arr[$i]}->{'author'}->{'name'}, 0, 30;
    my $dt = substr  $data->{'entry'}->{$arr[$i]}->{'modified'}, 0, 10;
    print "\n";
    print "From: $frm, Date: $dt\n";
    print "$title\n";
}
    print "\n";
} else {
    print "No new mail..\n";
}
exit 0;


Now by default this script will show the last three (3) unread mails. If you want to change this number, edit the following line in the script (line number 13),

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my $n = 3;

Save the script with the name 'check-gmail.pl' somewhere in your $PATH and give it execute permissions,

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chmod 755 /path/to/check-gmail.pl

Next open your .conkyrc in text-editor and add following line to call 'check-gmail.pl' via conky,

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execi 600 perl /path/to/check-gmail.pl "your_gmail_username" "your_gmail_password"

Of-course you will need to replace "your_gmail_username" and "your_gmail_password" above with your Google username and password.

Tested-Okay & Satisfaction-Guaranteed

In a bit of a hurry at the moment so no scrot as a proof-of-the-pudding 

Cheers!!!

[VastOne]

Seems to function all right but is only seeing and saying No New Mail even though I have unread email...

[VastOne]

But when I have multiple unread emails it seems to work fine...

Will keep on testing

[VastOne]

Testing results and script modifications

Scrot showing 6 Unread emails and setup to show 4 in the script:  Works perfectly


 


Scrot showing 2 Unread emails and setup to show 4 in the script:  Works perfectly


 


Scrot with only one email unread. Consistent with same number 7 all the time: Not working perfectly ...


 


Scrot showing conky when there are no emails: Works perfectly


 

[VastOne]

I have also modified the script to show less detail and format the way I like to see it in Conky

Here is the modified version of

check-gmail.pl (must be executable)

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#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use XML::Simple;
use LWP::Simple;
use Term::ANSIColor qw( colored );
my $u = $ARGV[0];
my $p = $ARGV[1];
my $xmldata = get("https://$u:$p\@mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom");
my $xml = new XML::Simple;
my $data = $xml->XMLin($xmldata);
my @arr = reverse sort keys %{$data->{'entry'}};
if (@arr != 0 ) {
#print "New Email(s) ". @arr ."\n";
print "". @arr ." New Email(s)\n";
my $n = 4;
$n = @arr if @arr < 4;
for(my $i = 0; $i < $n; $i++) {
    my $title = substr $data->{'entry'}->{$arr[$i]}->{'title'}, 0, 45;
    my $frm = substr $data->{'entry'}->{$arr[$i]}->{'author'}->{'name'}, 0, 30;
    my $dt = substr  $data->{'entry'}->{$arr[$i]}->{'modified'}, 0, 10;
    print "\n";
    print "$frm\n";
    print "$title\n";
}
    print "\n";
} else {
    print "0 New Email(s)\n";
}
exit 0;

@hakerdefo:

You'll notice a new line I have added

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use Term::ANSIColor qw( colored );
I am working on getting a simple color change to the script and will post it when I figure it out

Edit: Updated the above script to address this:

I am also working on this line:

Instead of it saying

New Email(s) 2

I would rather have it be reversed

2 New Email(s)

but I am struggling to get it right

thank you for this one.. it is extremely close to perfect and workable enough to get there... I happen to really like perl so well done mate!

[VastOne]

On the second mod to get the format of how the emails are displayed, I have played with it and found the correct code for it...

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print "". @arr ."\nNew Email(s)";
There is was an issue of it sending the New Emails to the next line though that I still have to work out

Edit:

Worked it out and updated the script above

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print "". @arr ." New Email(s) \n";

[VastOne]

Now by default this script will show the last three (3) unread mails. If you want to change this number, edit the following line in the script (line number 13),

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my $n = 3;


Question: Does line 14 also have to change if you change 13?

[VastOne]

Never did get a grasp on colorizing the single output of the ". @arr ." argument so I fixed it in the conky line, though it changes the color of the entire script... which is fine

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${color 7D8C93}                ${time %I:%M%P}
${color 7D8C93}         ${voffset 5}${time %a %b %d %Y}
${if_up eth0} ${color 7D8C93}${offset -18} ${voffset 6} VastOne  - ${color white} ${execi 25 perl ~/check-gmail.pl your_gmail_login your_gmail_password}${endif}

 

[hakerdefo]

Great work there VastOne!
I can confirm that the script borks with only one new mail in the inbox. The problem lies with 'XML::Simple' module so I'm currently working on replacing it with another module. And a gmail-checker written in bash is almost complete as well. A few personal things are not allowing time to complete them. Coming soon is all I can say right now.
Cheers!!!

[VastOne]

..and of course as fate would have it, a new update to python fixes the original script.. We now have tons of options

The thing I love about this forum is when a problem and explanation is offered, several solutions rise

Great group of people here, thank you all!

[PackRat]

..and of course as fate would have it, a new update to python fixes the original script.. We now have tons of options

They're linked (or will be) in one How To thread aren't they? One stop shopping.

[VastOne]

Yes... as soon as the bash script is complete I will sort it and put up a good How To

Thanks for the idea..