Convert string to python lists and dictionary?

Question

I have a string which looks like.

"[{'P_Key': 'val1', 'Price': '3.95'}, {'P_Key': 'val2', 'Price': '2.2'}, {'P_Key': 'val3', 'Price': '0.4'}]"

I want to convert this into a list of dictionaries like:

[{'P_Key': 'val1', 'Price': '3.95'}, 
 {'P_Key': 'val2', 'Price': '2.2'}, 
 {'P_Key': 'val3', 'Price': '0.4'}]

There may be any number of such dictionaries in the string.

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 24 '17 at 09:43

use ast.literal_eval

this is safer compare to eval as it only evaluate valid python datatypes

s = "[{'P_Key': 'val1', 'Price': '3.95'}, {'P_Key': 'val2', 'Price': '2.2'}, {'P_Key': 'val3', 'Price': '0.4'}]"
import ast
ast.literal_eval(s)
# [{'P_Key': 'val1', 'Price': '3.95'}, {'P_Key': 'val2', 'Price': '2.2'}, {'P_Key': 'val3', 'Price': '0.4'}]

Abhishek Bhatia · Answer 2 · 2017-10-24T09:42:50.337

0

use eval

 eval("[{'P_Key': 'val1', 'Price': '3.95'}, {'P_Key': 'val2', 'Price': '2.2'}, {'P_Key': 'val3', 'Price': '0.4'}]")

edited Oct 24 '17 at 09:42

answered Oct 24 '17 at 09:41

Abhishek Bhatia

718
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3

`eval` is dangerous. – Ma0 Oct 24 '17 at 09:42
@Ev.Kounis Always pass arguments to eval after verifying via regex(easier said than done)? – Abhishek Bhatia Oct 24 '17 at 09:43
1

much easier said than done but then again already done by `ast.literal_eval` – Ma0 Oct 24 '17 at 09:45

Convert string to python lists and dictionary?

2 Answers2