Example code for interpreting the WebSocket API v1 order book feed (synchronous/single-threaded)

#!/usr/bin/env python

# Kraken Websocket API Order Book
#
# Usage: ./krakenwsbook.py symbol depth

import sys
import json
import signal
from websocket import create_connection

def alarmfunction(signalnumber, frame):
signal.alarm(1)
api_output_book()

def dicttofloat(keyvalue):
return float(keyvalue[0])

def api_output_book():
bid = sorted(api_book["bid"].items(), key=dicttofloat, reverse=True)
ask = sorted(api_book["ask"].items(), key=dicttofloat)
print("Bid\t\t\t\t\t\tAsk")
for x in range(int(api_depth)):
print("%(bidprice)s (%(bidvolume)s)\t\t\t\t%(askprice)s (%(askvolume)s)" % {"bidprice":bid[x][0], "bidvolume":bid[x][1], "askprice":ask[x][0], "askvolume":ask[x][1]})

def api_update_book(side, data):
for x in data:
price_level = x[0]
if float(x[1]) != 0.0:
api_book[side].update({price_level:float(x[1])})
else:
if price_level in api_book[side]:
api_book[side].pop(price_level)
if side == "bid":
api_book["bid"] = dict(sorted(api_book["bid"].items(), key=dicttofloat, reverse=True)[:int(api_depth)])
elif side == "ask":
api_book["ask"] = dict(sorted(api_book["ask"].items(), key=dicttofloat)[:int(api_depth)])

signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, alarmfunction)

if len(sys.argv) < 3:
print("Usage: %s symbol depth" % sys.argv[0])
print("Example: %s xbt/usd 10" % sys.argv[0])
sys.exit(1)

api_feed = "book"
api_symbol = sys.argv[1].upper()
api_depth = sys.argv[2]
api_domain = "wss://ws.kraken.com/"
api_book = {"bid":{}, "ask":{}}

try:
ws = create_connection(api_domain)
except Exception as error:
print("WebSocket connection failed (%s)" % error)
sys.exit(1)

api_data = '{"event":"subscribe", "subscription":{"name":"%(feed)s", "depth":%(depth)s}, "pair":["%(symbol)s"]}' % {"feed":api_feed, "depth":api_depth, "symbol":api_symbol}

try:
ws.send(api_data)
except Exception as error:
print("Feed subscription failed (%s)" % error)
ws.close()
sys.exit(1)

while True:
try:
api_data = ws.recv()
except KeyboardInterrupt:
ws.close()
sys.exit(0)
except Exception as error:
print("WebSocket message failed (%s)" % error)
ws.close()
sys.exit(1)
api_data = json.loads(api_data)
if type(api_data) == list:
if "as" in api_data[1]:
api_update_book("ask", api_data[1]["as"])
api_update_book("bid", api_data[1]["bs"])
signal.alarm(1)
elif "a" in api_data[1] or "b" in api_data[1]:
for x in api_data[1:len(api_data[1:])-1]:
if "a" in x:
api_update_book("ask", x["a"])
elif "b" in x:
api_update_book("bid", x["b"])

ws.close()
sys.exit(1)