Python JSON encoding

Solution 1:

Python lists translate to JSON arrays. What it is giving you is a perfectly valid JSON string that could be used in a Javascript application. To get what you expected, you would need to use a dict:

>>> json.dumps({'apple': 'cat', 'banana':'dog', 'pear':'fish'})
'{"pear": "fish", "apple": "cat", "banana": "dog"}'

Solution 2:

I think you are simply exchanging dumps and loads.

>>> import json
>>> data = [['apple', 'cat'], ['banana', 'dog'], ['pear', 'fish']]

The first returns as a (JSON encoded) string its data argument:

>>> encoded_str = json.dumps( data )
>>> encoded_str
'[["apple", "cat"], ["banana", "dog"], ["pear", "fish"]]'

The second does the opposite, returning the data corresponding to its (JSON encoded) string argument:

>>> decoded_data = json.loads( encoded_str )
>>> decoded_data
[[u'apple', u'cat'], [u'banana', u'dog'], [u'pear', u'fish']]
>>> decoded_data == data
True

Solution 3:

In simplejson (or the library json in Python 2.6 and later), loads takes a JSON string and returns a Python data structure, dumps takes a Python data structure and returns a JSON string. JSON string can encode Javascript arrays, not just objects, and a Python list corresponds to a JSON string encoding an array. To get a JSON string such as

{"apple":"cat", "banana":"dog"}

the Python object you pass to json.dumps could be:

dict(apple="cat", banana="dog")

though the JSON string is also valid Python syntax for the same dict. I believe the specific string you say you expect is simply invalid JSON syntax, however.

Solution 4:

The data you are encoding is a keyless array, so JSON encodes it with [] brackets. See www.json.org for more information about that. The curly braces are used for lists with key/value pairs.

From www.json.org:

JSON is built on two structures:

A collection of name/value pairs. In various languages, this is realized as an object, record, struct, dictionary, hash table, keyed list, or associative array. An ordered list of values. In most languages, this is realized as an array, vector, list, or sequence.

An object is an unordered set of name/value pairs. An object begins with { (left brace) and ends with } (right brace). Each name is followed by : (colon) and the name/value pairs are separated by , (comma).

An array is an ordered collection of values. An array begins with [ (left bracket) and ends with ] (right bracket). Values are separated by , (comma).