Where do I get the Authorized Gmail API service instance? (python, gmail api)
Question: I'm trying to call from my gmail api code so I can create a draft, but I can't
figure out where to get the "Authorized Gmail API service instance." Here's my
code:

    
    
    def CreateDraft(service, user_id, message_body):
      CreateDraft('SERVICE THING NEEDS TO BE HERE','me','thisisbody')
      """Create and insert a draft email. Print the returned draft's message and id.
    
      Args:
        service: Authorized Gmail API service instance.
        user_id: User's email address. The special value "me"
        can be used to indicate the authenticated user.
        message_body: The body of the email message, including headers.
    
      Returns:
        Draft object, including draft id and message meta data.
      """
      try:
        message = {'message': message_body}
        draft = service.users().drafts().create(userId=user_id, body=message).execute()
    
        print 'Draft id: %s\nDraft message: %s' % (draft['id'], draft['message'])
    
        return draft
      except errors.HttpError, error:
        print 'An error occurred: %s' % error
        return None
    

Does anyone know where the Authorized Gmail API service instance is found? I
have a client id and secret but it's nothing to do with that right?


Answer: So I figured it out. I did the following:

1) Change SCOPES to:

    
    
    SCOPES = 'https://mail.google.com/' 
    

2) On your computer (Windows 7) go to "C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\\.credentials

3) Delete the file "gmail-quickstart"

4) Run the code again (quickstart.py)

5) When the message pops up in your browser, click accept.

6) Check mail, you should have your message in there if you're looking to send
email through the api.

The credentials file seems to hold the permissions. Changing your permissions
and then deleting that file seems to make it all work perfectly. So overall
your code should look something like this if you were looking to send mail
through the api:

    
    
    import httplib2
    import os
    
    from apiclient import discovery
    import oauth2client
    from oauth2client import client
    from oauth2client import tools
    
    try:
        import argparse
        flags = argparse.ArgumentParser(parents=[tools.argparser]).parse_args()
    except ImportError:
        flags = None
    
    SCOPES = 'https://mail.google.com/'
    CLIENT_SECRET_FILE = 'client_secret.json'
    APPLICATION_NAME = 'Gmail API Quickstart'
    
    
    def get_credentials():
        """Gets valid user credentials from storage.
    
        If nothing has been stored, or if the stored credentials are invalid,
        the OAuth2 flow is completed to obtain the new credentials.
    
        Returns:
            Credentials, the obtained credential.
        """
        home_dir = os.path.expanduser('~')
        credential_dir = os.path.join(home_dir, '.credentials')
        if not os.path.exists(credential_dir):
            os.makedirs(credential_dir)
        credential_path = os.path.join(credential_dir,
                                       'gmail-quickstart.json')
    
        store = oauth2client.file.Storage(credential_path)
        credentials = store.get()
        if not credentials or credentials.invalid:
            flow = client.flow_from_clientsecrets(CLIENT_SECRET_FILE, SCOPES)
            flow.user_agent = APPLICATION_NAME
            if flags:
                credentials = tools.run_flow(flow, store, flags)
            else: # Needed only for compatability with Python 2.6
                credentials = tools.run(flow, store)
            print 'Storing credentials to ' + credential_path
        return credentials
    
    import base64
    from email.mime.audio import MIMEAudio
    from email.mime.base import MIMEBase
    from email.mime.image import MIMEImage
    from email.mime.multipart import MIMEMultipart
    from email.mime.text import MIMEText
    import mimetypes
    from httplib2 import Http
    
    from apiclient import errors
    
    from apiclient.discovery import build
    credentials = get_credentials()
    service = build('gmail', 'v1', http=credentials.authorize(Http()))
    
    def SendMessage(service, user_id, message):
      """Send an email message.
    
      Args:
        service: Authorized Gmail API service instance.
        user_id: User's email address. The special value "me"
        can be used to indicate the authenticated user.
        message: Message to be sent.
    
      Returns:
        Sent Message.
      """
      try:
        message = (service.users().messages().send(userId=user_id, body=message)
                   .execute())
        print 'Message Id: %s' % message['id']
        return message
      except errors.HttpError, error:
        print 'An error occurred: %s' % error
    
    
    def CreateMessage(sender, to, subject, message_text):
      """Create a message for an email.
    
      Args:
        sender: Email address of the sender.
        to: Email address of the receiver.
        subject: The subject of the email message.
        message_text: The text of the email message.
    
      Returns:
        An object containing a base64 encoded email object.
      """
      message = MIMEText(message_text)
      message['to'] = to
      message['from'] = sender
      message['subject'] = subject
      return {'raw': base64.b64encode(message.as_string())}
    
    testMessage = CreateMessage('EMAIL ADDRESS', 'EMAIL ADDRESS', 'subject', 'YOUR MESSAGE')
    
    testSend = SendMessage(service, 'me', testMessage)
    

