seems to be working

.gitignore

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+*.pyc
+.idea
+

jsonsocket.py

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+import json, socket
+
+class Server(object):
+  """
+  A JSON socket server used to communicate with a JSON socket client. All the
+  data is serialized in JSON. How to use it:
+
+  server = Server(host, port)
+  while True:
+    server.accept()
+    data = server.recv()
+    # shortcut: data = server.accept().recv()
+    server.send({'status': 'ok'})
+  """
+
+  backlog = 5
+  client = None
+
+  def __init__(self, host, port):
+    self.socket = socket.socket()
+    self.socket.bind((host, port))
+    self.socket.listen(self.backlog)
+
+  def __del__(self):
+    self.close()
+
+  def accept(self):
+    # if a client is already connected, disconnect it
+    if self.client:
+      self.client.close()
+    self.client, self.client_addr = self.socket.accept()
+    return self
+
+  def send(self, data):
+    if not self.client:
+      raise Exception('Cannot send data, no client is connected')
+    _send(self.client, data)
+    return self
+
+  def recv(self):
+    if not self.client:
+      raise Exception('Cannot receive data, no client is connected')
+    return _recv(self.client)
+
+  def close(self):
+    if self.client:
+      self.client.close()
+      self.client = None
+    if self.socket:
+      self.socket.close()
+      self.socket = None
+
+
+class Client(object):
+  """
+  A JSON socket client used to communicate with a JSON socket server. All the
+  data is serialized in JSON. How to use it:
+
+  data = {
+    'name': 'Patrick Jane',
+    'age': 45,
+    'children': ['Susie', 'Mike', 'Philip']
+  }
+  client = Client()
+  client.connect(host, port)
+  client.send(data)
+  response = client.recv()
+  # or in one line:
+  response = Client().connect(host, port).send(data).recv()
+  """
+
+  socket = None
+
+  def __del__(self):
+    self.close()
+
+  def connect(self, host, port):
+    self.socket = socket.socket()
+    self.socket.connect((host, port))
+    self.socket.settimeout(3)
+    return self
+
+  def send(self, data):
+    if not self.socket:
+      raise Exception('You have to connect first before sending data')
+    _send(self.socket, data)
+    return self
+
+  def recv(self):
+    if not self.socket:
+      raise Exception('You have to connect first before receiving data')
+    return _recv(self.socket)
+
+  def recv_and_close(self):
+    data = self.recv()
+    self.close()
+    return data
+
+  def close(self):
+    if self.socket:
+      self.socket.close()
+      self.socket = None
+
+
+## helper functions ##
+
+def _send(socket, data):
+  try:
+    serialized = json.dumps(data)
+  except (TypeError, ValueError), e:
+    raise Exception('You can only send JSON-serializable data')
+  socket.sendall(serialized)
+  socket.send('\n')
+
+def _recv(socket):
+  # read the length of the data, letter by letter until we reach EOL
+  data_in = ''
+  char = socket.recv(1)
+  while char != '\n':
+    data_in += char
+    char = socket.recv(1)
+  try:
+    deserialized = json.loads(data_in)
+  except (TypeError, ValueError), e:
+    raise Exception('Data received was not in JSON format')
+  return deserialized

squaredDimmingService.py

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+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+from jsonsocket import Client
+from datetime import time, datetime
+from time import sleep
+
+host = '127.0.0.1'
+port = 5204
+dimmingStartHour = 22
+dimmingEndHour = 8
+dimmedBrightness = 0.25
+nonDimmedBrightness = 1
+
+client = Client()
+inDimmingMode = False
+
+
+def setBrightness(newBrightness):
+    print "setting Brightness to %s" % newBrightness
+    client.connect(host, port)
+    client.send(
+        {
+            "method": "setBrightness",
+            "params": {"brightness": newBrightness}
+        }
+    )
+    client.send(
+        {
+            "method": "loadModel"
+        }
+    )
+    response = client.recv()
+    currentBrightness = response['params']['brightness']
+    if not(int(currentBrightness * 100) == int(newBrightness * 100)):
+        raise Exception("Failed setting brightness, sent %s but got %s" % (currentBrightness, response['brightness']))
+    sleep(0.5)
+    client.close()
+
+while True:
+    t = datetime.now()
+    shouldBeInDimmingMode = not (dimmingStartHour > t.hour > dimmingEndHour)
+    if inDimmingMode and not shouldBeInDimmingMode:
+        try:
+            setBrightness(nonDimmedBrightness)
+            inDimmingMode = False
+            print "Success"
+        except Exception as e:
+            print "Error changing brightness"
+            print e.message
+    if not inDimmingMode and shouldBeInDimmingMode:
+        try:
+            setBrightness(dimmedBrightness)
+            inDimmingMode = True
+            print "Success"
+        except Exception as e:
+            print "Error changing brightness"
+            print e.message
+    sleep(60)