main.py

import sys
import tweepy
import secret

API_KEY = secret.API_KEY
API_SECRET = secret.API_SECRET
ACCESS_TOKEN = secret.ACCESS_TOKEN
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET = secret.ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET

auth = tweepy.OAuthHandler(API_KEY, API_SECRET)
auth.set_access_token(ACCESS_TOKEN, ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET)
api = tweepy.API(auth, wait_on_rate_limit=True,
                 wait_on_rate_limit_notify=True)
if not api:
    print("Can't Authenticate")
    sys.exit(-1)

# API CONSTANTS
searchQuery = '#MarchaFifi'  # this is what we're searching for
maxTweets = 10000000  # Some arbitrary large number
tweetsPerQry = 100  # this is the max the API permits
fName = 'tweets.txt'  # We'll store the tweets in a text file.

# If results from a specific ID onwards are reqd, set since_id to that ID.
# else default to no lower limit, go as far back as API allows
sinceId = None

# If results only below a specific ID are, set max_id to that ID.
# else default to no upper limit, start from the most recent tweet matching the search query.
max_id = -1

tweetCount = 0
print("Downloading max {0} tweets".format(maxTweets))
with open(fName, 'wb') as f:
    while tweetCount < maxTweets:
        try:
            if max_id <= 0:
                if not sinceId:
                    new_tweets = api.search(q=searchQuery, count=tweetsPerQry)
                else:
                    new_tweets = api.search(q=searchQuery, count=tweetsPerQry,
                                            since_id=sinceId)
            else:
                if not sinceId:
                    new_tweets = api.search(q=searchQuery, count=tweetsPerQry,
                                            max_id=str(max_id - 1))
                else:
                    new_tweets = api.search(q=searchQuery, count=tweetsPerQry,
                                            max_id=str(max_id - 1),
                                            since_id=sinceId)
            if not new_tweets:
                print("No more tweets found")
                break
            for tweet in new_tweets:
                f.write(tweet.text.encode("utf-8"))
            tweetCount += len(new_tweets)
            print("Downloaded {0} tweets".format(tweetCount))
            max_id = new_tweets[-1].id
        except tweepy.TweepError as e:
            # Just exit if any error
            print("some error : " + str(e))
            break

print("Downloaded {0} tweets, Saved to {1}".format(tweetCount, fName))