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Features

  • Compatible with Python 2.6+ and Python 3
  • No external dependencies
  • Supports large messages
  • Configurable retry logic with exponential backoff

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Installation

Install the library using setup.py: 
git clone https://github.com/Benzinga/python-bztcp.git
cd python-bztcp
python setup.py install

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Quick Start

Test the client using the built-in demo: 
python -m bztcp USERNAME API_KEY

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Basic Usage

The bztcp.client.Client class handles the connection and streaming: 
from __future__ import print_function
from bztcp.client import Client

client = Client(username='USERNAME', key='API_KEY')

for content in client.content_items():
    title = content.get('title', None)
    print(title)

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Configuration Options

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Retry Configuration

Configure retry behavior with exponential backoff: 
from bztcp.client import Client

client = Client(
    username='USERNAME',
    key='API_KEY',
    retries=5,      # Maximum retry attempts
    delay=90,       # Initial delay in seconds
    backoff=2       # Backoff multiplier
)

for content in client.content_items():
    title = content.get('title', None)
    print(title)
ParameterDescriptionDefault
usernameYour Benzinga TCP usernameRequired
keyYour API access keyRequired
retriesMaximum number of retry attempts-
delayInitial delay between retries (seconds)-
backoffMultiplier for exponential backoff-

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Advanced Usage

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Low-Level Message Handling

For granular control over connection status and individual messages: 
from bztcp.client import Client, STATUS_STREAM
from bztcp.exceptions import BzException

client = Client(username='USERNAME', key='API_KEY')

while True:
    try:
        msg = client.next_msg()
        
        if msg.status == STATUS_STREAM:
            print(f"Content item: {msg.data}")
        else:
            print(f"Status: {msg.status}")
            
    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        print("Cancelled, disconnecting.")
        client.disconnect()
        break
        
    except BzException as bze:
        print(f"BZ Error: {bze}")
        break

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Message Status Constants

StatusDescription
STATUS_STREAMNormal streaming content message

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Key Methods

MethodDescription
content_items()Generator that yields content dictionaries
next_msg()Returns the next raw message object
disconnect()Gracefully disconnects from the server

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Error Handling

The library raises BzException for Benzinga-specific errors: 
from bztcp.exceptions import BzException

try:
    for content in client.content_items():
        process(content)
except BzException as e:
    print(f"Benzinga error: {e}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Unexpected error: {e}")

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Complete Example

#!/usr/bin/env python
from __future__ import print_function
import json
from bztcp.client import Client

def main():
    client = Client(
        username='YOUR_USERNAME',
        key='YOUR_API_KEY',
        retries=5,
        delay=30,
        backoff=2
    )
    
    print("Starting Benzinga TCP stream...")
    
    for content in client.content_items():
        # Extract key fields
        content_id = content.get('id')
        title = content.get('title', 'No title')
        channels = content.get('channels', [])
        tickers = [t['name'] for t in content.get('tickers', [])]
        
        # Print summary
        print(f"[{content_id}] {title}")
        if channels:
            print(f"  Channels: {', '.join(channels)}")
        if tickers:
            print(f"  Tickers: {', '.join(tickers)}")
        print()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

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See Also