Auto-generate json paths from given json structure using Python - json

Question

I am trying to generate auto json paths from given json structure but stuck in the programatic part. Can someone please help out with the idea to take it further?
Below is the code so far i have achieved.
def iterate_dict(dict_data, key, tmp_key):
for k, v in dict_data.items():
key = key + tmp_key + '.' + k
key = key.replace('$$', '$')
if type(v) is dict:
tmp_key = key
key = '$'
iterate_dict(v, key, tmp_key)
elif type(v) is list:
str_encountered = False
for i in v:
if type(i) is str:
str_encountered = True
tmp_key = key
break
tmp_key = key
key = '$'
iterate_dict(i, key, tmp_key)
if str_encountered:
print(key, v)
if tmp_key is not None:
tmp_key = str(tmp_key)[:-str(k).__len__() - 1]
key = '$'
else:
print(key, v)
key = '$'
import json
iterate_dict_new(dict(json.loads(d_data)), '$', '')
consider the below json structure
{
"id": "1",
"categories": [
{
"name": "author",
"book": "fiction",
"leaders": [
{
"ref": ["wiki", "google"],
"athlete": {
"$ref": "some data"
},
"data": {
"$data": "some other data"
}
}
]
},
{
"name": "dummy name"
}
]
}
Expected output out of python script:
$id = 1
$categories[0].name = author
$categories[0].book = fiction
$categories[0].leaders[0].ref[0] = wiki
$categories[0].leaders[0].ref[1] = google
$categories[0].leaders[0].athlete.$ref = some data
$categories[0].leaders[0].data.$data = some other data
$categories[1].name = dummy name
Current output with above python script:
$.id 1
$$.categories.name author
$$.categories.book fiction
$$$.categories.leaders.ref ["wiki", "google"]
$$$$$.categories.leaders.athlete.$ref some data
$$$$$$.categories.leaders.athlete.data.$data some other data
$$.name dummy name

Answer 1

The following recursive function is similar to yours, but instead of just displaying a dictionary, it can also take a list. This means that if you passed in a dictionary where one of the values was a nested list, then the output would still be correct (printing things like dict.key[3][4] = element).
def disp_paths(it, p='$'):
for k, v in (it.items() if type(it) is dict else enumerate(it)):
if type(v) is dict:
disp_paths(v, '{}.{}'.format(p, k))
elif type(v) is list:
for i, e in enumerate(v):
if type(e) is dict or type(e) is list:
disp_paths(e, '{}.{}[{}]'.format(p, k, i))
else:
print('{}.{}[{}] = {}'.format(p, k, i, e))
else:
f = '{}.{} = {}' if type(it) is dict else '{}[{}] = {}'
print(f.format(p, k, v))
which, when ran with your dictionary (disp_paths(d)), gives the expected output of:
$.categories[0].leaders[0].athlete.$ref = some data
$.categories[0].leaders[0].data.$data = some other data
$.categories[0].leaders[0].ref[0] = wiki
$.categories[0].leaders[0].ref[1] = google
$.categories[0].book = fiction
$.categories[0].name = author
$.categories[1].name = dummy name
$.id = 1
Note that this is unfortunately not ordered, but that is unavoidable as dictionaries have no inherent order (they are just sets of key:value pairs)
If you need help understanding my modifications, just drop a comment!