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Twitter CLI - tweet from your terminal

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Gaurav Singh
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4 min read

Tweet from Terminal: Exploring TWT CLI

In today's fast-paced digital world, social media has become an integral part of our lives. Among the plethora of social media platforms, Twitter stands out as a powerful tool for sharing thoughts, ideas, and updates in real-time. However, accessing Twitter's functionalities typically involves navigating through web interfaces or mobile apps. But what if you could tweet directly from your terminal? Enter TWT, a command-line interface (CLI) tool that allows you to tweet effortlessly from your terminal window.

Introduction to TWT

TWT, short for Tweet from Terminal, is a CLI tool written in Go (Golang) that enables users to post tweets directly from their terminal window. It eliminates the need for accessing Twitter through web browsers or mobile apps, providing a convenient way to interact with Twitter's API programmatically.

Installation

TWT offers seamless installation through pre-built binaries or from source. Users can choose the installation method that best suits their operating system and preferences.

For Linux and macOS users, TWT provides pre-built binaries that can be easily downloaded and installed using a few simple commands. Windows users can also install TWT by adding the binary to their system's PATH.

Alternatively, users can build TWT from source if they have Go installed on their systems. This method offers flexibility and customization options, allowing users to compile the tool according to their specific requirements.

Linux

sudo curl -L -o /usr/local/bin/twt https://github.com/EuclidStellar/twitter-cli-golang/releases/download/V1.0.2/twt_linux sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/twt

  1. macOS

     sudo curl -L -o /usr/local/bin/twt https://github.com/EuclidStellar/twitter-cli-golang/releases/download/V1.0.2/twt_macos sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/twt

  2. Windows

    • Download the twt.exe binary from the Releases page and add it to your system's PATH.

    • Move the downloaded twt.exe file to a directory of your choice. For example, you can create a directory named C:\twt and move twt.exe there.

    • Right-click on the Start button and select "System".

    • In the System window, click on "Advanced system settings" on the left side.

    • In the System Properties window, click on the "Environment Variables..." button.

    • In the Environment Variables window, under "System variables", select the "Path" variable and click on "Edit...".

    • In the Edit Environment Variable window, click on "New" and enter the path to the directory where you placed twt.exe (e.g., C:\twt).

    • Click "OK" on all windows to save the changes.

    • Open a new Command Prompt window, and you should be able to run twt from anywhere.

From Source

If you have Go installed, you can build twt from source:

go install github.com/EuclidStellar/twitter-cli-golang@latest

If the path is not in /usr/local/bin, then use this command:

sudo mv twt /usr/local/bin

Usage

  1. Obtain your Twitter API keys from the Twitter Developer Portal.

  2. Run twt in your terminal.

  3. Use twt -c to configure your Twitter API keys.

  4. Enter your Twitter API keys when prompted.

  5. Enter your tweet content when prompted.

Experience the convenience of tweeting directly from your terminal with TWT!

Usage

Using TWT is straightforward and intuitive. Once installed, users can run the twt command in their terminal to initiate the tweeting process. TWT prompts users to enter their Twitter API keys, which are necessary for authenticating and accessing Twitter's API endpoints securely.

The CLI interface guides users through the process of configuring their Twitter API keys, ensuring a seamless setup experience. Once configured, users can compose their tweet content directly within the terminal window. TWT handles the tweet submission process, interacting with Twitter's API behind the scenes to post the tweet successfully.

Code Explanation

The core functionality of TWT revolves around interacting with Twitter's API to authenticate users and post tweets. Let's delve into the code and understand how TWT achieves this seamlessly.

  1. Authentication with Twitter API

    TWT leverages OAuth 1.0a authentication protocol to authenticate users with Twitter's API securely. Upon running the CLI tool, users are prompted to enter their Twitter API keys, including the consumer key, consumer secret, access token, and access token secret. These keys are essential for generating OAuth signatures and authorizing API requests on behalf of the user.

  2. Posting Tweets

    Once authenticated, users can compose their tweet content within the terminal window. TWT constructs a POST request with the tweet content and sends it to Twitter's API endpoint for posting tweets. The API request includes the OAuth authorization header containing the OAuth signature generated using the user's API keys.

  3. Handling API Responses

    After sending the tweet request, TWT receives a response from Twitter's API, indicating the status of the tweet submission. The CLI tool parses the API response and provides feedback to the user within the terminal window. This feedback includes details such as the tweet ID, creation timestamp, and any error messages encountered during the process.

Conclusion

TWT offers a convenient and efficient way to interact with Twitter's platform directly from the terminal. By leveraging Twitter's API and OAuth authentication, TWT enables users to post tweets seamlessly without the need for complex web interfaces or mobile apps. Whether you're a developer, social media enthusiast, or power user, TWT empowers you to tweet effortlessly from your terminal window, bringing the power of Twitter to your fingertips.

TwittergolangGolang developerAPIsbackendoauth