minor code clean up:

.gitignore

@@ -59,3 +59,6 @@ target/
 
 # testing file
 test.py
+
+# idea
+*.idea*

mlbgame/__init__.py

@@ -173,8 +173,14 @@ def day(year, month, day, home=None, away=None):
         return []
     # get data
     data = mlbgame.game.scoreboard(year, month, day, home=home, away=away)
-    results = [mlbgame.game.GameScoreboard(data[x]) for x in data]
-    return results
+    return [mlbgame.game.GameScoreboard(data[x]) for x in data]
+
+
+def todays_games(home=None, away=None):
+    from datetime import date
+    data = mlbgame.game.scoreboard(date.today().year, date.today().month, date.today().day, home=home, away=away)
+    return [mlbgame.game.GameScoreboard(data[x]) for x in data]
+
 
 def games(years, months=None, days=None, home=None, away=None):
     """Return a list of lists of games for multiple days.

mlbgame/data.py

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 """This module gets the XML data that other functions use.
-It checks if the data is cached first, and if not, 
+It checks if the data is cached first, and if not,
 gets the data from mlb.com.
 """
 
@@ -14,93 +14,102 @@
 except ImportError:
     from urllib2 import urlopen, HTTPError
 
+
+# Templates For Local Paths and URLS
+BASE_URL = "http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_{0}/month_{1}/day_{2}/"
+GAME_URL = BASE_URL + "/gid_{3}/{4}"
+BASE_PATH = "gameday-data/year_{0}/month_{1}/day_{2}/"
+GAME_PATH = BASE_PATH + "gid_{3}{4}/"
+
+PROPERTY_URL = "http://mlb.mlb.com/properties/mlb_properties.xml"
+# Local Directory
+PWD = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+
+
 def get_scoreboard(year, month, day):
     """Return the game file for a certain day matching certain criteria."""
     # add zeros if less than 10
     monthstr = str(month).zfill(2)
     daystr = str(day).zfill(2)
     # file
-    filename = "gameday-data/year_%i/month_%s/day_%s/scoreboard.xml.gz" % (year, monthstr, daystr)
-    file = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), filename)
+    local_filename = BASE_PATH.format(year, monthstr, daystr) + "scoreboard.xml.gz"
+    local_file = os.path.join(PWD, local_filename)
     # check if file exits
-    if os.path.isfile(file):
+    if os.path.isfile(local_file):
         if sys.platform == 'win32':
-            file_unzipped = file[:-3]
+            file_unzipped = local_file[:-3]
             if not os.path.exists(file_unzipped):
                 import gzip
-                f_gz = gzip.open(file, 'rb')
-                f = open(file_unzipped, 'wb')
-                f.write(f_gz.read())
-                f.close()
-                f_gz.close()
-            file = file_unzipped
-        data = file
-    else:
-        # get data if file does not exist
-        try:
-            data = urlopen("http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_%i/month_%s/day_%s/scoreboard.xml" % (year, monthstr, daystr))
-        except HTTPError:
-            data = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "gameday-data/default.xml")
+                with(gzip.open(local_file, 'rb')) as f_gz:
+                    with(open(file_unzipped, 'wb')) as f:
+                        f.write(f_gz.read())
+        return local_file
+    # get data if file does not exist
+    try:
+        data = urlopen(BASE_URL.format(year, monthstr, daystr) + "scoreboard.xml")
+    except HTTPError:
+        data = os.path.join(PWD, "gameday-data/default.xml")
     return data
 
+
 def get_box_score(game_id):
     """Return the box score file of a game with matching id."""
-    # get relevant information from game id
-    year, month, day, rest = game_id.split('_', 3)
     # file
-    filename = "gameday-data/year_%s/month_%s/day_%s/gid_%s/boxscore.xml" % (year, month, day, game_id)
-    file = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), filename)
+    year, month, day = get_date_from_game_id(game_id)
+    local_filename = GAME_PATH.format(year, month, day , game_id, "boxscore.xml")
+    local_file = os.path.join(PWD, local_filename)
     # check if file exits
-    if os.path.isfile(file):
-        data = file
-    else:
-        # get data if file does not exist
-        try:
-            data = urlopen("http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_%s/month_%s/day_%s/gid_%s/boxscore.xml" % (year, month, day, game_id))
-        except HTTPError:
-            raise ValueError("Could not find a game with that id.")
-    return data
+    if os.path.isfile(local_file):
+        return local_file
+    # get data if file does not exist
+    try:
+        return urlopen(GAME_URL.format(year, month, day , game_id, "boxscore.xml"))
+    except HTTPError:
+        raise ValueError("Could not find a game with that id.")
+
 
 def get_game_events(game_id):
     """Return the game events file of a game with matching id."""
-    # get relevant information from game id
-    year, month, day, rest = game_id.split('_', 3)
     # file
-    filename = "gameday-data/year_%s/month_%s/day_%s/gid_%s/game_events.xml" % (year, month, day, game_id)
-    file = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), filename)
+    year, month, day = get_date_from_game_id(game_id)
+    local_filename = GAME_PATH.format(year, month, day, game_id, game_id, "game_events.xml")
+    local_file = os.path.join(PWD, local_filename)
     # check if file exits
-    if os.path.isfile(file):
-        data = file
-    else:
-        # get data if file does not exist
-        try:
-            data = urlopen("http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_%s/month_%s/day_%s/gid_%s/game_events.xml" % (year, month, day, game_id))
-        except HTTPError:
-            raise ValueError("Could not find a game with that id.")
-    return data
+    if os.path.isfile(local_file):
+        return local_file
+    # get data if file does not exist
+    try:
+        return urlopen(GAME_URL.format(year, month, day, game_id, "game_events.xml"))
+    except HTTPError:
+        raise ValueError("Could not find a game with that id.")
+
 
 def get_overview(game_id):
     """Return the linescore file of a game with matching id."""
-    # get relevant information from game id
-    year, month, day, rest = game_id.split('_', 3)
     # file
-    filename = "gameday-data/year_%s/month_%s/day_%s/gid_%s/linescore.xml" % (year, month, day, game_id)
-    file = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), filename)
+    year, month, day = get_date_from_game_id(game_id)
+    local_filename = GAME_PATH.format(year, month, day, game_id, "linescore.xml")
+    local_file = os.path.join(PWD, local_filename)
     # check if file exits
-    if os.path.isfile(file):
-        data = file
-    else:
+    if os.path.isfile(local_file):
+        return local_file
         # get data if file does not exist
-        try:
-            data = urlopen("http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_%s/month_%s/day_%s/gid_%s/linescore.xml" % (year, month, day, game_id))
-        except HTTPError:
-            raise ValueError("Could not find a game with that id.")
-    return data
+    try:
+        return urlopen(GAME_URL.format(year, month, day, game_id, "linescore.xml"))
+    except HTTPError:
+        raise ValueError("Could not find a game with that id.")
+
 
 def get_properties():
     """Return the current mlb properties file"""
     try:
-        return urlopen("http://mlb.mlb.com/properties/mlb_properties.xml")
+        return urlopen(PROPERTY_URL)
     # in case mlb.com depricates this functionality
     except HTTPError:
-        raise ValueError("Could not find the properties file. mlb.com does not provide the file that mlbgame needs to perform this operation.")
+        raise ValueError("Could not find the properties file. "
+                         "mlb.com does not provide the file that mlbgame needs to perform this operation.")
+
+
+def get_date_from_game_id(game_id):
+    year, month, day, _discard = game_id.split('_', 3)
+    return year, month, day

mlbgame/game.py

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import datetime
 import lxml.etree as etree
 
+
 def scoreboard(year, month, day, home=None, away=None):
     """Return the scoreboard information for games matching the parameters as a dictionary."""
     # get data