Edit remote file and save it back

redit.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
from subprocess import call
from time import time
from argparse import ArgumentParser


def pull(path, fname):
    if call(['scp', path, fname]) != 0:
        raise Exception(path + ' :File path or host seems wrong')
    call(['cp', fname, fname + '.bak'])


def push(fname, path):
    call(['scp', fname, path])


def edit(fname, editor):
    if 0 != call([editor, fname]):
        raise Exception('The editor seems wrong.')


def main(*args):
    from os.path import basename
    from tempfile import gettempdir

    parser = ArgumentParser()
    parser.add_argument('path',
                        help='remote path in ssh format.')
    parser.add_argument('-e',
                        help='special what editor or vim to open.',
                        dest='editor',
                        default='vim')

    args = parser.parse_args(args) if len(args) else parser.parse_args()
    path = args.path
    editor = args.editor
    fname = '{}/{}_redit{}'.format(
            gettempdir(),
            basename(path),
            int(time() * 100)
    )
    pull(path, fname)
    edit(fname, editor)
    push(fname, path)


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()