Before you begin
- Python 3.12+
Set up your example
- Save the complete code as monthly-day-recurrence.py.
- Open a terminal in the folder containing the script.
This recipe uses your own local input or creates its own example output. Follow the setup steps below.
Download the ZIP, extract it, and open a terminal inside the extracted folder. The source file is monthly-day-recurrence.py.
Run the script
python monthly-day-recurrence.py --start 2026-01-01 --day 31 --months 3 --short-month last --output "monthly.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
Writes January 31, February 28, and March 31; --short-month skip would omit February.
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='Generate a day-of-month recurrence with explicit skip or last-day handling.')
parser.add_argument('--output',type=Path,required=True,help='New result path; must not exist')
parser.add_argument('--start',required=True)
parser.add_argument('--day',type=int,required=True)
parser.add_argument('--months',type=int,default=12)
parser.add_argument('--short-month',choices=['skip','last'],default='skip')
args=parser.parse_args()
if not 1<=args.day<=31 or not 1<=args.months<=1200: raise ValueError('Day 1..31 and months 1..1200 required')
start=date.fromisoformat(args.start);rows=[]
for n in range(args.months):
total=start.year*12+start.month-1+n;y,m=divmod(total,12);m+=1;last=calendar.monthrange(y,m)[1]
if args.day>last and args.short_month=='skip': continue
d=date(y,m,min(args.day,last))
if d>=start: rows.append(d.isoformat())
write_text(args.output,'\n'.join(rows))
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
- Generate a day-of-month recurrence with explicit skip or last-day handling.
- Customization in this script: Change --start and the other date bounds to choose the explicit interval used by this task.
- Review the output before using it elsewhere; existing output paths are refused.
Make it your own
Change the task behavior
Change --start and the other date bounds to choose the explicit interval used by this task.
Choose recurrence day
Change --day and --months to set the recurrence.
Handle short months
Set --short-month to skip or last; --start defines the first eligible month.
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 monthly-day-recurrence.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.