This consists of two Python command-line scripts:

fetch-dilbert downloads individual Dilbert comic strips

update-dilbert helps you maintain a private Dilbert collection

Both can be run on Python 2.5 on any supported platform, with the Python Imaging Library (PIL) module. Windows EXE versions of the scripts are also available that do not require Python to be installed.

Disclaimer¶

These scripts are automated scripts that will scrape various pages from dilbert.com. This is a violation of their terms of use. Your use of these scripts is at your own risk. By downloading or using these scripts, you agree to not hold Scott Wallace (me) liable for any action taken against you due to your use or download of them.

Requirements¶

If you're using the EXE version on Windows, you don't need to install these. Otherwise, you'll need to install these if you haven't already:

• Python 2.5 or 2.6 (not tested with 2.7 or 3.x)
• Python Imaging Library (PIL)

You can install these on Ubuntu and other Debian-based distros with: $ sudo apt-get install python python-imaging

fetch-dilbert¶

This script is capable of downloading Dilbert strips for a given day or days, or a whole year at a time.

Usage¶

Syntax (for geeks): fetch-dilbert (options) [--output=|-o OUTPATH]

The script takes two arguments. One tells it which strip(s) to download, and the other tells it where to put them. As of 2008-06-27, the order of the arguments does not matter.

The only required argument is one of the following:

• --date=DATE1[,DATE2[,...]] or --dates=DATE1[,DATE2[,...]] or -d DATE1[,DATE2[,...]]

Download one or more strips. Each DATE can be either in YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g. 2008-06-24) or the word today (which tells it to download today's strip), and they are separated by commas.

• --year=YEAR or -y YEAR

Downloads all strips for the year YEAR.

• --help or -h

Shows a help message.

The other argument is optional, and it is the folder where you want the strip(s) to be saved.

Examples¶

• fetch-dilbert --dates=today,2008-06-23

Downloads today's strip and the one from June 23, 2008, and saves them to the current working directory.

• fetch-dilbert --date=2008-04-15 -o Comics/Dilbert/2008

Downloads the strip from April 15, 2008, and saves it to the folder Comics/Dilbert/2008 within the current directory.

• fetch-dilbert --year=1997 -o Comics/Dilbert/1997

Downloads the strips from the year 1997 and saves them to the folder Comics/Dilbert/1997 within the current directory.

Changes¶

• 2009-02-22 (r29)
• Fixed to not try downloading any Dilbert strips before 1989-04-16 (when the first one was published)
• Fixed fetch-dilbert giving exit code 0 if there was a problem downloading a strip or strips using the --date/--dates argument
• Now expands ~ (*nix home directory) and environment variables in argument values
• 2008-07-15 (r25)
• Rewritten in Python
• Requires Python 2.5 and Python Imaging Library (PIL)
• Specify output path for fetch- with --output=PATH option
• --date, --year, --help, and --output have short options: -d, -y, -h, and -o respectively in fetch
• --file has been removed from fetch
• --help's output is very short now in both scripts
• 2008-07-12 (r20)
• Uses dilbert.com/fast to find the strip URL; less bandwidth used
• fetchStrip() changes modification time on DL'd strips to match the strip's date to help sorting by modification time
• 2008-06-30
• Uses PHP functions, rather than wget/other CLI tools, to download/proccess strips.
• Works on Windows
• Requires GD module
• Windows exe that can be run without PHP
• 2008-06-27
• Added error handling
• Options can be in any order now
• --date and --dates mean the same thing now
• Other minor changes
• 2008-06-24
• Initial public release

update-dilbert¶

This script helps you maintain a collection of Dilbert strips. It will download all strips that have been published during the current year that you don't already have. Run daily after midnight Pacific time for best results.

Usage¶

Syntax (for geeks): update-dilbert [--help | -h] [-v | --verbose] [-p |--path=(path to collection)]

Run update-dilbert -p (path to collection) where (path to collection) is where you keep your Dilberts and it will do the dirty work for you. If you leave out (path to collection), it will look in the current directory. (path to collection) should have one folder for each year of Dilberts that you have (e.g. 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, ...).

If you want it to tell you what it's doing, run update-dilbert -v (path to collection). update-dilbert -h will show a help message.

Changes¶

• 2009-02-22 (r29)
• Fixed to not try downloading any Dilbert strips before 1989-04-16 (when the first one was published)
• Now expands ~ (*nix home directory) and environment variables in argument values
• 2008-07-15 (r25)
• Rewritten in Python
• Requires Python 2.5 and Python Imaging Library (PIL)
• Specify collection path for update with --path=PATH option
• --verbose, --help, and --path have short options: -v, -h, and -p respectively in update
• --help's output is very short now in both scripts
• 2008-07-12
• Uses dilbert.com/fast to find the strip URL; less bandwidth used
• fetchStrip() changes modification time on DL'd strips to match the strip's date to help sorting by modification time
• Since fetchStrip() touches strips now, and the update script used to do that, remove that from the update script
• 2008-07-01
• Force error reporting to E_WARNING to prevent unnecessary messages.
• 2008-06-30
• No configuration needed
• Windows exe that does not require PHP to be installed
• Requires GD module
• Can be run without fetch-dilbert
• Runs on Windows
• 2008-06-27
• Added error handling
• Other minor changes
• 2008-06-24
• Initial public release