Python: launch default mail client on the system
With pywin32:
import win32api
win32api.ShellExecute(0,'open','mailto:',None,None ,0)
Update
Ah, I misread your question and presumed you're on Win platform.
A platform independent solution would be open mailto link in a browser, like
import webbrowser
webbrowser.open('mailto:', new=1)
Update 2
Some additional research (in fact, first two pages of google search) revealed this excellent snippet:
#!/usr/bin/env python
'''Utilities for opening files or URLs in the registered default application
and for sending e-mail using the user's preferred composer.
'''
__version__ = '1.1'
__all__ = ['open', 'mailto']
import os
import sys
import webbrowser
import subprocess
from email.Utils import encode_rfc2231
_controllers = {}
_open = None
class BaseController(object):
'''Base class for open program controllers.'''
def __init__(self, name):
self.name = name
def open(self, filename):
raise NotImplementedError
class Controller(BaseController):
'''Controller for a generic open program.'''
def __init__(self, *args):
super(Controller, self).__init__(os.path.basename(args[0]))
self.args = list(args)
def _invoke(self, cmdline):
if sys.platform[:3] == 'win':
closefds = False
startupinfo = subprocess.STARTUPINFO()
startupinfo.dwFlags |= subprocess.STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
else:
closefds = True
startupinfo = None
if (os.environ.get('DISPLAY') or sys.platform[:3] == 'win' or
sys.platform == 'darwin'):
inout = file(os.devnull, 'r+')
else:
# for TTY programs, we need stdin/out
inout = None
# if possible, put the child precess in separate process group,
# so keyboard interrupts don't affect child precess as well as
# Python
setsid = getattr(os, 'setsid', None)
if not setsid:
setsid = getattr(os, 'setpgrp', None)
pipe = subprocess.Popen(cmdline, stdin=inout, stdout=inout,
stderr=inout, close_fds=closefds,
preexec_fn=setsid, startupinfo=startupinfo)
# It is assumed that this kind of tools (gnome-open, kfmclient,
# exo-open, xdg-open and open for OSX) immediately exit after lauching
# the specific application
returncode = pipe.wait()
if hasattr(self, 'fixreturncode'):
returncode = self.fixreturncode(returncode)
return not returncode
def open(self, filename):
if isinstance(filename, basestring):
cmdline = self.args + [filename]
else:
# assume it is a sequence
cmdline = self.args + filename
try:
return self._invoke(cmdline)
except OSError:
return False
# Platform support for Windows
if sys.platform[:3] == 'win':
class Start(BaseController):
'''Controller for the win32 start progam through os.startfile.'''
def open(self, filename):
try:
os.startfile(filename)
except WindowsError:
# [Error 22] No application is associated with the specified
# file for this operation: '<URL>'
return False
else:
return True
_controllers['windows-default'] = Start('start')
_open = _controllers['windows-default'].open
# Platform support for MacOS
elif sys.platform == 'darwin':
_controllers['open']= Controller('open')
_open = _controllers['open'].open
# Platform support for Unix
else:
import commands
# @WARNING: use the private API of the webbrowser module
from webbrowser import _iscommand
class KfmClient(Controller):
'''Controller for the KDE kfmclient program.'''
def __init__(self, kfmclient='kfmclient'):
super(KfmClient, self).__init__(kfmclient, 'exec')
self.kde_version = self.detect_kde_version()
def detect_kde_version(self):
kde_version = None
try:
info = commands.getoutput('kde-config --version')
for line in info.splitlines():
if line.startswith('KDE'):
kde_version = line.split(':')[-1].strip()
break
except (OSError, RuntimeError):
pass
return kde_version
def fixreturncode(self, returncode):
if returncode is not None and self.kde_version > '3.5.4':
return returncode
else:
return os.EX_OK
def detect_desktop_environment():
'''Checks for known desktop environments
Return the desktop environments name, lowercase (kde, gnome, xfce)
or "generic"
'''
desktop_environment = 'generic'
if os.environ.get('KDE_FULL_SESSION') == 'true':
desktop_environment = 'kde'
elif os.environ.get('GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID'):
desktop_environment = 'gnome'
else:
try:
info = commands.getoutput('xprop -root _DT_SAVE_MODE')
if ' = "xfce4"' in info:
desktop_environment = 'xfce'
except (OSError, RuntimeError):
pass
return desktop_environment
def register_X_controllers():
if _iscommand('kfmclient'):
_controllers['kde-open'] = KfmClient()
for command in ('gnome-open', 'exo-open', 'xdg-open'):
if _iscommand(command):
_controllers[command] = Controller(command)
def get():
controllers_map = {
'gnome': 'gnome-open',
'kde': 'kde-open',
'xfce': 'exo-open',
}
desktop_environment = detect_desktop_environment()
try:
controller_name = controllers_map[desktop_environment]
return _controllers[controller_name].open
except KeyError:
if _controllers.has_key('xdg-open'):
return _controllers['xdg-open'].open
else:
return webbrowser.open
if os.environ.get("DISPLAY"):
register_X_controllers()
_open = get()
def open(filename):
'''Open a file or an URL in the registered default application.'''
return _open(filename)
def _fix_addersses(**kwargs):
for headername in ('address', 'to', 'cc', 'bcc'):
try:
headervalue = kwargs[headername]
if not headervalue:
del kwargs[headername]
continue
elif not isinstance(headervalue, basestring):
# assume it is a sequence
headervalue = ','.join(headervalue)
except KeyError:
pass
except TypeError:
raise TypeError('string or sequence expected for "%s", '
'%s found' % (headername,
type(headervalue).__name__))
else:
translation_map = {'%': '%25', '&': '%26', '?': '%3F'}
for char, replacement in translation_map.items():
headervalue = headervalue.replace(char, replacement)
kwargs[headername] = headervalue
return kwargs
def mailto_format(**kwargs):
# @TODO: implement utf8 option
kwargs = _fix_addersses(**kwargs)
parts = []
for headername in ('to', 'cc', 'bcc', 'subject', 'body', 'attach'):
if kwargs.has_key(headername):
headervalue = kwargs[headername]
if not headervalue:
continue
if headername in ('address', 'to', 'cc', 'bcc'):
parts.append('%s=%s' % (headername, headervalue))
else:
headervalue = encode_rfc2231(headervalue) # @TODO: check
parts.append('%s=%s' % (headername, headervalue))
mailto_string = 'mailto:%s' % kwargs.get('address', '')
if parts:
mailto_string = '%s?%s' % (mailto_string, '&'.join(parts))
return mailto_string
def mailto(address, to=None, cc=None, bcc=None, subject=None, body=None,
attach=None):
'''Send an e-mail using the user's preferred composer.
Open the user's preferred e-mail composer in order to send a mail to
address(es) that must follow the syntax of RFC822. Multiple addresses
may be provided (for address, cc and bcc parameters) as separate
arguments.
All parameters provided are used to prefill corresponding fields in
the user's e-mail composer. The user will have the opportunity to
change any of this information before actually sending the e-mail.
address - specify the destination recipient
cc - specify a recipient to be copied on the e-mail
bcc - specify a recipient to be blindly copied on the e-mail
subject - specify a subject for the e-mail
body - specify a body for the e-mail. Since the user will be able
to make changes before actually sending the e-mail, this
can be used to provide the user with a template for the
e-mail text may contain linebreaks
attach - specify an attachment for the e-mail. file must point to
an existing file
'''
mailto_string = mailto_format(**locals())
return open(mailto_string)
if __name__ == '__main__':
from optparse import OptionParser
version = '%%prog %s' % __version__
usage = (
'\n\n%prog FILENAME [FILENAME(s)] -- for opening files'
'\n\n%prog -m [OPTIONS] ADDRESS [ADDRESS(es)] -- for sending e-mails'
)
parser = OptionParser(usage=usage, version=version, description=__doc__)
parser.add_option('-m', '--mailto', dest='mailto_mode', default=False,
action='store_true', help='set mailto mode. '
'If not set any other option is ignored')
parser.add_option('--cc', dest='cc', help='specify a recipient to be '
'copied on the e-mail')
parser.add_option('--bcc', dest='bcc', help='specify a recipient to be '
'blindly copied on the e-mail')
parser.add_option('--subject', dest='subject',
help='specify a subject for the e-mail')
parser.add_option('--body', dest='body', help='specify a body for the '
'e-mail. Since the user will be able to make changes '
'before actually sending the e-mail, this can be used '
'to provide the user with a template for the e-mail '
'text may contain linebreaks')
parser.add_option('--attach', dest='attach', help='specify an attachment '
'for the e-mail. file must point to an existing file')
(options, args) = parser.parse_args()
if not args:
parser.print_usage()
parser.exit(1)
if options.mailto_mode:
if not mailto(args, None, options.cc, options.bcc, options.subject,
options.body, options.attach):
sys.exit('Unable to open the e-mail client')
else:
for name in ('cc', 'bcc', 'subject', 'body', 'attach'):
if getattr(options, name):
parser.error('The "cc", "bcc", "subject", "body" and "attach" '
'options are only accepten in mailto mode')
success = False
for arg in args:
if not open(arg):
print 'Unable to open "%s"' % arg
else:
success = True
sys.exit(success)
Enjoy.