Automation & scripting
CLI tools, scheduled jobs, filesystem tasks, and glue scripts that save time.
How to Parse Terraform Plan Output in Python
Parse mock Terraform plan output text into structured add, change, and destroy lists using Python.
import json
from typing import Dict, List
def parse_terraform_plan_output(plan_output_text: str) -> Dict[str, List[str]]:
"""
Parses a mock Terraform plan output text into a structured dictionary.
"""
parsed: Dict[str, List[str]] = {"add": [], "change": [], "destroy": []}
for line in plan_output_…How to Ping Multiple Hosts in Parallel with Python ThreadPoolExecutor
A parallel host-pinging script using ThreadPoolExecutor and subprocess to check connectivity across multiple addresses concurrently.
import subprocess
from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
from pathlib import Path
HOSTS = [
"google.com",
"github.com",
"stackoverflow.com",
"nonexistent.invalid",
"localhost",
]
def ping_host(host: str) -> str:
"""Ping a single host and return a status string."""
result = subp…How to Track GitHub Stars, Forks, and Watchers in Python
Automatically fetch and track stars, forks, and watchers for multiple GitHub repositories, saving snapshots locally as JSON files for historical analysis.
import os
import time
import json
import requests
from pathlib import Path
from datetime import datetime
REPOS = [
"psf/requests",
"python/cpython",
"pallets/flask",
]
DATA_DIR = Path("github_metrics")
def fetch_repo_stats(repo):
url = f"https://api.github.com/repos/{repo}"
resp = requests.get(ur…How to Update a Hosts File to Block Distractions in Python
This script updates a local hosts file (or a demo file) by adding or updating entries to block distracting websites like Facebook and Twitter.
from pathlib import Path
def update_hosts(entries):
"""
Add or update blocking entries in the hosts file.
Uses a local demo file by default to avoid system changes.
"""
hosts_path = Path("demo_hosts.txt")
# Create demo file if it doesn't exist
if not hosts_path.exists():
hosts…How to Write an IP Block List to hosts.deny in Python
This Python script validates a list of IP addresses and CIDR ranges, then writes them to a hosts.deny file to block connections at the TCP wrapper level.
from ipaddress import ip_network
def write_hosts_deny(ip_list, output_file="hosts.deny"):
with open(output_file, "w") as f:
for ip in ip_list:
try:
ip_network(ip)
f.write(f"ALL: {ip}\n")
except ValueError:
continue
print(f"Written…How to apply Kubernetes YAML files from a folder in Python
Uses the Kubernetes Python client to apply all YAML manifests in a directory, with sorted processing and per-file error handling.
import os
import yaml
from kubernetes import client, config
from kubernetes.utils import create_from_yaml
def apply_yaml_folder(folder_path):
"""Apply all YAML files in a folder using the Kubernetes mock client."""
# Load mock configuration
config.load_kube_config()
k8s_client = client.ApiClient()
…How to generate website performance reports from HTTP requests in Python
Measure and report website load time, status code, and content size using Python's standard library.
import urllib.request
import time
def measure_website_load_time(url):
"""Measures total loading time of a website."""
start_time = time.time()
try:
with urllib.request.urlopen(url, timeout=10) as response:
content = response.read()
status_code = response.status
…Monitor Website Uptime with Python
Periodically check if a website is reachable and its HTTP status is 200, logging the status with timestamps.
import requests
import time
def check_website(url):
try:
response = requests.get(url, timeout=5)
if response.status_code == 200:
return True
else:
return False
except requests.ConnectionError:
return False
except requests.Timeout:
return Fals…Browse by section
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Automation & scripting — Python code examples
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This page collects automation & scripting snippets — short, copy-ready Python you can paste into our free online IDE and run without installing anything. Each sample includes a plain-English explanation and the full source code.
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Samples are quick reference — one concept per page. For step-by-step teaching, use our Python tutorials. To test yourself, try quizzes or coding challenges. Clean up style with the Python formatter.