86 lines
3 KiB
Markdown
86 lines
3 KiB
Markdown
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# Eurotunnel price checker
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## Overview
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This is a personal tool designed to scrape and display Eurotunnel ticket prices. The tool consists of two primary Python scripts:
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1. `check.py`: A script that runs headless browsing to scrape ticket data and save it as HTML files.
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2. `web_view.py`: A Flask web application that parses the scraped HTML data and displays the available tickets and prices.
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## Requirements
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- Python 3.x
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- Flask
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- lxml
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- Playwright Python package
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- pytz
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Install them via pip:
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```bash
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pip install flask lxml playwright pytz
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```
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## How to use
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### Running the scraper (`check.py`)
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1. Update the `outbound_date` and `return_date` variables in the script to match your desired travel dates.
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2. Run the script manually or add it to your crontab for scheduled checks. The HTML files will be saved in a specified directory.
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For example, to run the script every day at 6:34 AM:
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```bash
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34 6 * * * ~/src/2023/eurotunnel-scrape/check.py
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```
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### Running the web viewer (`web_view.py`)
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1. Run `web_view.py` to start the Flask web server.
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2. Access the web interface to view available tickets and prices.
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To start the web server:
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```bash
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python web_view.py
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```
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You can then navigate to `http://localhost:5000/` to see the ticket options.
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## Code structure
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- `check.py` uses the playwright package to scrape the Eurotunnel website for ticket prices and saves the resulting HTML files.
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- `web_view.py` reads these HTML files, extracts the relevant data using lxml, and displays it using a Flask web interface.
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### Data Classes and Functions
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- `Train`: Data class representing a Eurotunnel train with departure time, arrival time, and price.
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- `get_filename(direction: str) -> tuple[datetime, str]`: Function to find the most recent file corresponding to a given direction ('outbound' or 'return').
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- `get_tickets(filename: str) -> tuple[date, list[Train]]`: Function to parse the HTML and get a list of available trains and prices.
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## Notes
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- All prices are displayed for 'standard' tickets only.
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- The time and price information are displayed only for trains that are within a specific time range (as defined in `web_view.py`).
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## Data Storage
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Scraped data is saved as HTML files in the `data` directory. The filenames include timestamps to indicate when the data was scraped. For example:
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- `2023-09-29_123456_outbound.html`: Outbound data scraped on September 29, 2023, at 12:34:56.
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- `2023-10-06_234567_return.html`: Return data scraped on October 6, 2023, at 23:45:67.
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## Author
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This tool was created by Edward Betts.
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## Support and Contributions
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This tool is provided as-is and may require maintenance or updates as Eurotunnel's website changes. If you encounter issues or have suggestions for improvements, feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request on the GitHub repository.
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## License
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This tool is released under the [MIT License](LICENSE).
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## Disclaimer
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This tool is not affiliated with Eurotunnel and is meant for personal use only. Always refer to the official Eurotunnel website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
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