Before you begin
- Python 3.12+
Set up your example
- Save the complete code as group-events-by-utc-date.py.
- Open a terminal in the folder containing the script.
- Create the supplied sample files at the shown relative paths.
Sample files in this download:
- schedule.csv
Download the ZIP, extract it, and open a terminal inside the extracted folder. The source file is group-events-by-utc-date.py.
Run the script
python group-events-by-utc-date.py --input "schedule.csv" --output "daily-events.txt"If your system uses python3 instead of python, use that command for Python examples. Keep paths containing spaces in quotes. Required inputs and optional settings are described in the code and setup steps.
What to expect
A and B appear beneath 2026-10-24. Overnight events appear only under their start date.
The complete script
import argparse, ast, collections, difflib, fnmatch, gzip, hashlib, io, json, math, os, random, re, shutil, statistics, string, sys, tarfile, textwrap, time, unicodedata, zipfile
from pathlib import Path
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
def write_text(path, content):
path=Path(path)
path.parent.mkdir(parents=True,exist_ok=True)
with path.open('x',encoding='utf-8',newline='') as h: h.write(content)
print('Created',path)
def fresh_dir(path):
path=Path(path); path.mkdir(parents=True,exist_ok=False); return path
def files_under(root):
root=Path(root)
if not root.is_dir(): raise ValueError('Input must be a directory')
return sorted((p for p in root.rglob('*') if p.is_file() and not p.is_symlink()),key=lambda p:p.as_posix().casefold())
def digest(path):
h=hashlib.sha256()
with Path(path).open('rb') as f:
for b in iter(lambda:f.read(1048576),b''): h.update(b)
return h.hexdigest()
def positive(n,name):
if n<=0: raise ValueError(name+' must be positive')
def destination(root,name):
name=name.replace('\\','/')
if name.startswith('/') or any(p=='..' or ':' in p for p in name.split('/')): raise ValueError('Unsafe path: '+name)
p=(root/name).resolve()
if p!=root.resolve() and root.resolve() not in p.parents: raise ValueError('Path escapes destination')
return p
def zip_members(z,limit=500000000):
seen=set(); total=0; result=[]
for i in z.infolist():
if i.is_dir(): continue
destination(Path.cwd(),i.filename)
key=i.filename.replace('\\','/').casefold()
if key in seen: raise ValueError('Duplicate/case-colliding member: '+i.filename)
seen.add(key)
if ((i.external_attr>>16)&0o170000)==0o120000: raise ValueError('Symlinks unsupported')
total+=i.file_size
if total>limit: raise ValueError('Expanded data exceeds limit')
result.append(i)
return result
def copy_member(z,i,root):
p=destination(root,i.filename); p.parent.mkdir(parents=True,exist_ok=True)
with z.open(i) as src,p.open('xb') as dst: shutil.copyfileobj(src,dst)
def read_input(a): return a.input.read_text(encoding='utf-8-sig')
NS={'w':'http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/wordprocessingml/2006/main','r':'http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships'}
def docx_root(path,member='word/document.xml'):
with zipfile.ZipFile(path) as z:
i=z.getinfo(member)
if i.file_size>30000000: raise ValueError('Document XML exceeds 30 MB')
return ET.fromstring(z.read(i))
def pdf_reader(path):
try: from pypdf import PdfReader
except ImportError as e: raise ValueError('Install dependency: python -m pip install pypdf') from e
r=PdfReader(path)
if r.is_encrypted: raise ValueError('Encrypted PDF unsupported')
return r
def pdf_writer():
try: from pypdf import PdfWriter
except ImportError as e: raise ValueError('Install dependency: python -m pip install pypdf') from e
return PdfWriter()
def save_pdf(w,p):
Path(p).parent.mkdir(parents=True,exist_ok=True)
with Path(p).open('xb') as h: w.write(h)
print('Created',p)
def md_headings(content):
fence=None
for number,line in enumerate(content.splitlines(),1):
mark=re.match(r'^\s{0,3}(`{3,}|~{3,})',line)
if mark:
char=mark.group(1)[0]
if fence is None: fence=char
elif fence==char: fence=None
continue
if fence is None:
m=re.match(r'^(#{1,6})\s+(.+?)\s*#*\s*$',line)
if m: yield number,len(m.group(1)),m.group(2)
import calendar, csv
from datetime import date,datetime,timedelta,timezone
from zoneinfo import ZoneInfo
def csv_rows(path,required=()):
with Path(path).open(encoding='utf-8-sig',newline='') as f:
reader=csv.DictReader(f)
if not reader.fieldnames or any(k not in reader.fieldnames for k in required): raise ValueError('Required columns: '+', '.join(required))
return list(reader)
def csv_text(rows,columns):
out=io.StringIO(newline='');writer=csv.DictWriter(out,fieldnames=columns);writer.writeheader();writer.writerows(rows);return out.getvalue()
def aware(text):
value=datetime.fromisoformat(text.replace('Z','+00:00'))
if value.tzinfo is None: raise ValueError('Timestamp must include UTC offset or Z: '+text)
return value.astimezone(timezone.utc)
def date_range(start,end):
if end<start: raise ValueError('End precedes start')
if (end-start).days>366000: raise ValueError('Date range exceeds 1000 years')
for i in range((end-start).days+1): yield start+timedelta(days=i)
def ical_events(path):
lines=re.sub(r'\r?\n[ \t]','',Path(path).read_text(encoding='utf-8-sig')).splitlines();events=[];current=None
for line in lines:
if line=='BEGIN:VEVENT':
if current is not None: raise ValueError('Nested VEVENT')
current=[]
elif line=='END:VEVENT':
if current is None: raise ValueError('END without VEVENT')
events.append(current);current=None
elif current is not None: current.append(line)
if current is not None: raise ValueError('Unclosed VEVENT')
return events
def ical_value(lines,key):
return next((line.split(':',1)[1] for line in lines if line.startswith(key+':') or line.startswith(key+';')), '')
def ical_escape(text): return text.replace('\\','\\\\').replace('\n','\\n').replace(';','\\;').replace(',','\\,')
def ical_fold(line):
parts=[];current=''
for char in line:
if len((current+char).encode('utf-8'))>75: parts.append(current);current=' '+char
else: current+=char
parts.append(current);return '\r\n'.join(parts)
def main():
parser=argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Organize event labels beneath their UTC starting dates.')
parser.add_argument('--input',type=Path,required=True,help='Source file or folder')
parser.add_argument('--output',type=Path,required=True,help='New result path; must not exist')
args=parser.parse_args()
groups=collections.defaultdict(list)
for row in csv_rows(args.input,['label','start']): groups[aware(row['start']).date().isoformat()].append(row['label'])
write_text(args.output,'\n\n'.join(day+'\n'+'\n'.join(labels) for day,labels in sorted(groups.items())))
if __name__=='__main__':
try: main()
except (OSError,ValueError,KeyError,zipfile.BadZipFile,tarfile.TarError,ET.ParseError) as error:
print('Error:',error,file=sys.stderr); sys.exit(2)
Open source as plain text · Download source and sample files
How it works
- Organize event labels beneath their UTC starting dates.
- Customization in this script: Change the grouping key to aware(row["start"]).strftime("%Y-%m") to group by UTC month.
- Review the output before using it elsewhere; existing output paths are refused.
Make it your own
Change the task behavior
Change the grouping key to aware(row["start"]).strftime("%Y-%m") to group by UTC month.
Choose a source
Change --input in the run command to select your own source for group events by utc start date.
Choose a destination
Change --output to a new path. The write_text(), fresh_dir(), and save_pdf() helpers refuse existing outputs.
Change one setting at a time, run it again on sample data, and compare the output. The customization guide walks through this process.
If something goes wrong
The chosen source cannot be read.
Check the source path, quote paths with spaces, and confirm the file or folder is readable.
The output already exists.
Use a new --output path; existing results are deliberately preserved.
A task-specific argument is rejected.
Run python group-events-by-utc-date.py --help, then compare the options with the complete example command and supplied sample format.
Reference & next steps
These official references explain the underlying tools. The Scriptage example and guide are original instructional content. See verification notes for what has been checked and the limits of those checks.
Copies a template for your own notes. It does not send anything.