Python parse string as dictionary

Question

I have the following string:

"[['Categories', [['180972'], ['180800'], ['16228'], ['32733'], ['32789'], ['32833'], ['325137'], ['32839'], ['25329'], ['42605'], ['428240849'], ['5101'], ['568'], ['570716'], ['57116'], ['57080545404'], ['57083134076']]], ['Tags', ['Stock', 'Color', 'Fam', 'Dress','Maxi']], ['Type', ['Luxary']], ['Vendor', ['AAA']]]"

And I want to parse it as a dict/json. What is the best way to do so?

• oren_isp: @Graipher it is a string, see my edit
• Aprillion: json.loads(string) ?
• Graipher: @Aprillion: It seems to be an invalid JSON string...
• user8060120: @Graipher simple replace the ' to "

Answer 1

You can use ast.literal_eval to evaluate a string and get back a Python object (if the syntax is correct). Using this is safer than using eval.

import ast
s = "[['Categories', [['180972'], ['180800'], ['16228'], ['32733'], ['32789'], ['32833'], ['325137'], ['32839'], ['25329'], ['42605'], ['428240849'], ['5101'], ['568'], ['570716'], ['57116'], ['57080545404'], ['57083134076']]], ['Tags', ['Stock', 'Color', 'Fam', 'Dress','Maxi']], ['Type', ['Luxary']], ['Vendor', ['AAA']]]"
l = ast.literal_eval(s)
d = dict(l)
{'Categories': [['180972'],
 ['180800'],
 ['16228'],
 ['32733'],
 ['32789'],
 ['32833'],
 ['325137'],
 ['32839'],
 ['25329'],
 ['42605'],
 ['428240849'],
 ['5101'],
 ['568'],
 ['570716'],
 ['57116'],
 ['57080545404'],
 ['57083134076']],
 'Tags': ['Stock', 'Color', 'Fam', 'Dress', 'Maxi'],
 'Type': ['Luxary'],
 'Vendor': ['AAA']}

If you want to also get rid of the inner list, use the other answer, instead of just calling dict on the object.

Answer 2

Try this to convert it to dict:

data= "[['Categories', [['180972'], ['180800'], ['16228'], ['32733'], ['32789'], ['32833'], ['325137'], ['32839'], ['25329'], ['42605'], ['428240849'], ['5101'], ['568'], ['570716'], ['57116'], ['57080545404'], ['57083134076']]], ['Tags', ['Stock', 'Color', 'Fam', 'Dress','Maxi']], ['Type', ['Luxary']], ['Vendor', ['AAA']]]"
data = eval(data)
d={}
for i in data:
 d[i[0]] = [x for x, in i[1]] if isinstance(i[1][0], list) else i[1]

The output will be:

{'Categories': 
 ['180972',
 '180800',
 '16228',
 '32733',
 '32789',
 '32833',
 '325137',
 '32839',
 '25329',
 '42605',
 '428240849',
 '5101',
 '568',
 '570716',
 '57116',
 '57080545404',
 '57083134076'],
 'Tags': ['Stock', 'Color', 'Fam', 'Dress', 'Maxi'],
 'Type': ['Luxary'],
 'Vendor': ['AAA']
}

• PaulMcG: Only use eval on text that you create yourself or confirm for yourself is safe, never from an unknown or untrusted source.

Answer 3

How about this

>>> import itertools
>>> import ast
>>> import pprint
>>> i = ast.literal_eval(s)
>>> d = {k[0]:list(itertools.chain(*k[1])) if isinstance(k[1][0], list) else list(k[1]) for k in i}
>>> pprint.pprint(d)
{'Categories': ['180972',
 '180800',
 '16228',
 '32733',
 '32789',
 '32833',
 '325137',
 '32839',
 '25329',
 '42605',
 '428240849',
 '5101',
 '568',
 '570716',
 '57116',
 '57080545404',
 '57083134076'],
 'Tags': ['Stock', 'Color', 'Fam', 'Dress', 'Maxi'],
 'Type': ['Luxary'],
 'Vendor': ['AAA']}