Function to extract mentions as a string

content.py

@@ -14,6 +14,31 @@ from utils import fileLastModified
 from utils import getLinkPrefixes
 
 
+def getMentionsString(content: str) -> []:
+    """Returns the initial string containing mentions from the post content
+    and the content string without the initial mentions
+    """
+    if ' ' not in content:
+        # Doesn't contain any distinct words
+        return ['', content]
+    if '@' not in content:
+        # Nothing which could be a mention
+        return ['', content]
+    messageStr = content.strip()
+    if not messageStr.startswith('@'):
+        # There are no mentions
+        return ['', content]
+    words = messageStr.split(' ')
+    # get each mentioned handle
+    mentions = ''
+    for handle in words:
+        if not handle.startswith('@'):
+            break
+        mentions += handle + ' '
+    messageStr = content.replace(mentions, '')
+    return [mentions.strip(), messageStr]
+
+
 def switchWords(baseDir: str, nickname: str, domain: str, content: str) -> str:
     """Performs word replacements. eg. Trump -> The Orange Menace
     """

tests.py

@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ from media import getAttachmentMediaType
 from delete import sendDeleteViaServer
 from inbox import validInbox
 from inbox import validInboxFilenames
+from content import getMentionsString
 from content import addWebLinks
 from content import replaceEmojiFromTags
 from content import addHtmlTags
@@ -1865,8 +1866,24 @@ def testSiteIsActive():
     assert(not siteIsActive('https://notarealwebsite.a.b.c'))
 
 
+def testGetMentionsString():
+    print('testGetMentionsString')
+    content = 'This post has no mentions'
+    result = getMentionsString(content)
+    assert len(result) == 2
+    assert not result[0]
+    assert result[1] == 'This post has no mentions'
+
+    content = '@nick@abc @sue@def This post has no mentions'
+    result = getMentionsString(content)
+    assert len(result) == 2
+    assert result[0] == '@nick@abc @sue@def'
+    assert result[1] == 'This post has no mentions'
+
+
 def runAllTests():
     print('Running tests...')
+    testGetMentionsString()
     testSiteIsActive()
     testJsonld()
     testRemoveTextFormatting()