newbie help ?

[Beanie]

I have the code below which is supposed to run in  plone to pull a code out
of a text file and mail it to a person, it dosen't work and i don't know
why. It dosn't help that I don't really no how to cofe in python i'm more of
a c/vb/asp/ada person. i've been loking throught the net for any online
tutorials / resources and ahven't found a lot that was helpful. anybody
sugest
a) what is wrong witht hescript - got to be something simple most of it is
hacked from examples
b) where to get good resources on python scripting

ta

# Example code:

# Import a standard function, and get the HTML request and response objects.
from Products.PythonScripts.standard import html_quote
request = container.REQUEST
RESPONSE =  request.RESPONSE

referer = request.came_from

if request.from_addr == '':
   RESPONSE.redirect( '%s?portal_status_message=%s' % ( referer, "You have
not entered your E-Mail address" ) )
   return

file=open("codes.txt",'r+') #open the file

strCode=file.readlines() # read all of the file into a list
strDiscountCode = strCode.pop(0) #get one code
if strDiscountCode =="": #if its null we run out so mail me
 mail_text = context.comments_template(
    from_name = " Discount Codes",
    from_addr = "codes at domain",
    who = "me at me",
    comments =  request.from_addr , "tried for a code but we run out.")

 host = context.MailHost
 host.send( mail_text )

 RESPONSE.redirect( '%s?portal_status_message=%s' % ( referer, "Sorry we
have temporarily run out of codes one will be sent as soon as
possible!" ) );
else: # else send them the code
 mail_text = context.comments_template(
    from_name = "Discount Codes",
    from_addr = "codes at domain",
    who = request.from_addr,
    comments =  "Your Discount code is:" & strDiscountCode & ".")

 host = context.MailHost
 host.send( mail_text )

 RESPONSE.redirect( '%s?portal_status_message=%s' % ( referer, "Your
discount code has been sent. Thank you." ) );

        file.writelines(strCodes) #rewrite the file with missing code

file.close()# close the file


-- 
Beanie

"Fear is the path to the dark side! Fear leads to anger, anger leads to
hate, hate leads to suffering!"

"There is no Emotion, there is Peace.
There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge.
There is no Passion, there is Serenity.
There is no Death, there is the Force"