PythonBeginner · Windows, macOS, Linux; Python 3.12+

Calculate mileage reimbursement

Multiply recorded distances by a rate explicitly chosen by the user.

Before you begin

  • Python 3.12+
What this script changesReads the supplied local CSV and writes a new report. No accounts, payments, or external systems are changed. Monetary inputs must use one consistent currency; formulas use the rates and assumptions you explicitly supply.

Set up your example

  1. Save the complete code as configured-mileage-reimbursement.py.
  2. Open a terminal in the folder containing the script.
  3. Create the supplied sample files at the shown relative paths.

Sample files in this download:

  • input.csv

Download the ZIP, extract it, and open a terminal inside the extracted folder. The source file is configured-mileage-reimbursement.py.

Run the script

Run command
python configured-mileage-reimbursement.py --input "input.csv" --rate "0.50" --unit miles --output "mileage.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

Sam’s 25 miles at the user-selected 0.50 per mile yield 12.50. The script supplies no statutory or tax rate.

The complete script

configured-mileage-reimbursement.py
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)

from decimal import Decimal,InvalidOperation,ROUND_HALF_UP

def dec(value):
    try: result=Decimal(str(value))
    except InvalidOperation as e: raise ValueError('Invalid decimal: '+str(value)) from e
    if not result.is_finite(): raise ValueError('Non-finite decimal')
    return result

def money(value): return format(value.quantize(Decimal('.01'),rounding=ROUND_HALF_UP),'.2f')

def main():
    parser=argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Multiply recorded distances by a rate explicitly chosen by the user.')
    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')
    parser.add_argument('--rate',required=True)
    parser.add_argument('--unit',choices=['miles','km'],required=True)
    args=parser.parse_args()
    rate=dec(args.rate)
    if rate<0: raise ValueError('Rate cannot be negative')
    totals=collections.defaultdict(Decimal)
    for row in csv_rows(args.input,['person','distance']):
        distance=dec(row['distance'])
        if distance<0: raise ValueError('Distance cannot be negative')
        totals[row['person']]+=distance
    write_text(args.output,'person\tdistance '+args.unit+'\treimbursement\n'+'\n'.join(f'{k}\t{v}\t{money(v*rate)}' for k,v in sorted(totals.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

  1. Multiply recorded distances by a rate explicitly chosen by the user.
  2. Customization in this script: Change --rate and --unit to choose your own reimbursement amount per recorded distance unit.
  3. Review the output before using it elsewhere; existing output paths are refused.

Make it your own

Change the task behavior

Change --rate and --unit to choose your own reimbursement amount per recorded distance unit.

Choose a source

Change --input in the run command to select your own source for calculate mileage reimbursement.

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 configured-mileage-reimbursement.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.