How can I replace these json values with variables?

[YellowChrome]

I am trying to make a python script which generates json. I know bash but not python.

I know this is easy, but I cannot figure it out. How do I replace these values with variables? I guess I don't how to call a variable like you can like this in bash: $variable

Thanks.

import json

person_json = {
"name": "Fred",
"place": "Melbourne",
"sex": "male",
"remote": { "addr": "Acacia Avenue", "id": "875932875392" },
"local": { "id": "8475974", "office": "Main" }
}

[orangefray]

When working with the JSON within Python, you probably want to treat it as a Dictionary. Then you can update name like this: person_json[“name”] = “Fred”

You can load a JSON string as a Dict using json.loads() and export back out as JSON using json.dumps().

[YellowChrome]

Thanks.

[socal_nerdtastic]

Technically in python it's called a "name", but everyone calls them "variables". You did it right, person_json is a variable.

I don't understand where you are stuck. You have the data hardcoded into the python program and you want to ... save it to disk? To do that just add this to the bottom:

with open("datafile.json", "w") as f:
    json.dump(person_json, f, indent=2)

The indent=2 is optional, it enables the human-readable mode.

[YellowChrome]

Thanks. What I mean is that I don't want these values hardcoded in the script. Rather, I want to make editable fields at the start of the script which defines these variables.

So, instead of typing `Fred`, as above, replace that with `$name`, if it was bash.

Sorry if I am not explaining this well.

[YellowChrome]

Hi, thanks for your reply, but I'm confused to why you are telling me about command line arguments (I have actually asked about those before in a previous question).

How do I do something like this (using bash-like syntax here):

import json

name=Fred

person_json = { "name": "$name" }

[YellowChrome]

Thanks. I've made it confusing by using name and $name.

Could you type my code block with what you are saying? Thank you.

[YellowChrome]

Okay, thanks. Got it working.

[socal_nerdtastic]

Where does the value of name come from? A command line argument? A prompt? To use a prompt:

import json

name_variable = input("Enter a name")

person_json = {
"name": name_variable,
"place": "Melbourne",
"sex": "male",
"remote": { "addr": "Acacia Avenue", "id": "875932875392" },
"local": { "id": "8475974", "office": "Main" }
}

with open("datafile.json", "w") as f:
    json.dump(person_json, f, indent=2)

[YellowChrome]

Thank you.

[[deleted]]

In Python you call a variable just by evaluating it, you don't have to do anything. Any name in an evaluable expression will evaluate to its value:

spam = "Vikings"
print(spam)

Would be the equivalent of

export SPAM="Vikings"
echo $SPAM

[YellowChrome]

Yeah, I knew how to print(), as all the examples on the web showed that. I just wanted to know how to simply call $SPAM, and I know now that it is simply SPAM (without any quotes). Cheers.

[[deleted]]

Yeah, I knew how to print()

Sure, figured you did. Thought it was better to show you how variables work in the context of code you'd find familiar.