how to update facebook status via command line

Recently, I found a text-based twitter client named "twidge".  It allows me to tweet right from command line.  For example, if you want to do a hello world tweet, you run this:

% twidge update "hello world"

I then think it would be a good idea if I can do the same thing with facebook i.e. to update facebook status right from command line.  However, when I did search on google, I found nothing.

Well, actually, there is an indirect way by:

1. Adding facebook application "Selective Tweet".
2. With the same twitter account you use to add "Selective Tweet", whenever you append "#fb" to your tweet, that tweet will also appear on facebook status.

But for many personal reasons, I just dislike this method as the same thing will be put onto both twitter and facebook which is not always what I want.

So what if I want to do it directly...

Recently, I had a chance to try out the Perl module "WWW::Mechanize" - Handy web browsing in a Perl object.  It is a subclass of the well-known LWP::UserAgent module which is a User Agent module for Perl which we use to write robot, spider and such.

Here is the Perl script I use to update facebook status:

#!/usr/bin/perl

use WWW::Mechanize;

$mech = WWW::Mechanize->new;
$mech->agent_alias('Windows Mozilla');

$base_url = 'http://m.facebook.com';

# {{{ login
$mech->get($base_url);
$response = $mech->submit_form(
  fields => {
    email => 'your_email_address',
    pass => 'facebook_password'
  }
);
die $response->status_line unless $response->status_line;
# }}}
 
while (1) {
  print "What's on your mind? : ";
  $status = <STDIN>;
  $response = $mech->submit_form(
    fields => {
      status => $status
    }
  );
  die $response->status_line unless $response->status_line;
}

Here is what you will see when you run it:

unsigned_nerd@linuxsucks ~ % fbset

What's on your mind? : it's easier to update facebook status from command line

By the way, isn't it better if I use some Facebook API instead...?  Umm... maybe later.