Plinky

A Python base link shorterner that couldn’t be more stupid*

• Plinky uses configuration to redirect short urls to longer ones.
• It doesn’t generate short urls.
• Deal with it.

How to use it

For local testing, create a .env file in the root of your application. Within that file you’ll want the following environment variables…

SHORTCUT_FILE = ./shorturls/example_shorturls.yaml
SEGMENT_WRITE_KEY=your_key_goes_here

The yaml file containing your shorturls needs to be set up. If you don’t want to use Segment.io to track events you don’t need to set up the Segment write key.

For deployment, you’ll want to set these environment variables on the host machine.

Running Locally

I run this service in Heroku, via the Procfile, so the easiest way to run it locally (and to have it run as it does in production) is to install the Heroku CLI and
and use the following command line:

heroku local

The Heroku CLI will automatically spot, and use, your .env file.

Alternatively, simply use python plinky.py to start the process.

Shorturls in Yaml - The Rules

• Always have a default value. This is the url that is used when a given shorturl can’t be found.
• The last shorturl wins. If you have several with the same value they last one will be used.

TODO

There is plenty that could be improved. Please raise issues in GitHub if you have suggestions.

https://github.com/martinpeck/plinky/issues