Morse code

CHARACTER_SPACE         = " "
MORSE_WORD_DELIMITER    = "|"
ALPHA_WORD_DELIMTER     = " "
ALPHA_TO_MORSE          = 1
MORSE_TO_ALPHA          = 2

codeDictionary = {'A': '.-', 'B': '-...', 'C': '-.-.',
        'D': '-..', 'E': '.', 'F': '..-.',
        'G': '--.', 'H': '....', 'I': '..',
        'J': '.---', 'K': '-.-', 'L': '.-..',
        'M': '--', 'N': '-.', 'O': '---',
        'P': '.--.', 'Q': '--.-', 'R': '.-.',
        'S': '...', 'T': '-', 'U': '..-',
        'V': '...-', 'W': '.--', 'X': '-..-',
        'Y': '-.--', 'Z': '--..',

        '0': '-----', '1': '.----', '2': '..---',
        '3': '...--', '4': '....-', '5': '.....',
        '6': '-....', '7': '--...', '8': '---..',
        '9': '----.',

        '.': '.-.-.-', ',': '--..--', '?': '..--..',
        '!': '-.-.--', '\'': '.----.', '/': '-..-.',
        '(': '-.--.', ')': '-.--.', '&': '.-...',
        ':': '---...', ';': '-.-.-.', '=': '-...-',
        '+': '.-.-.', '-': '-....-', '_': '..--.-',
        '"': '.-..-.', '$': '...-..-', '@': '.--.-.'
        }

def convertWord(word, codeDictionary):
    outputString = ''
    characters = word.split(CHARACTER_SPACE)
    if len(characters) == 1:
        characters = word
    for char in characters:
        char = char.upper()
        try:
          outputString += codeDictionary[char]
        except KeyError, e:
          pass

        outputString += CHARACTER_SPACE
    return outputString

def convertMessage(message, mode, codeDictionary):
    # if we are decoding morse then swap the keys and values in the dictionary
    if mode == MORSE_TO_ALPHA:
      codeDictionary = dict((v,k) for k,v in codeDictionary.iteritems())

    # get a list of words in the message
    if mode == MORSE_TO_ALPHA:
      wordDelimiter = MORSE_WORD_DELIMITER
    else:
      wordDelimiter = ALPHA_WORD_DELIMTER

    words = message.split(wordDelimiter)

    outputMessage = ""

    for word in words:
       outputMessage += convertWord(word, codeDictionary)

    return outputMessage

mode = ALPHA_TO_MORSE
message ="Hello World"
#mode = MORSE_TO_ALPHA
#message = ".... . .-.. .-.. --- | .-- --- .-. .-.. -.."

print(convertMessage(message, mode, codeDictionary))