reading raw variables from file

[Astan Chee]

Hi,
I have a file that might contain literal python variable statements at
every line. For example the file info.dat looks like this:
users = ["Bob", "Jane"]
status = {1:"ok",2:users[0]}
the problem is I want to read this file and load whatever variables
written in it as normal python variable statements so that when i read
the file, my users var will be ["Bob","Jane"] and my status var will be
{1:"ok",2:users[0]} . Is there an easy way of doing this instead of
parsing the files and checking said types?
Thanks
Cheers
Astan

 

[Paddy]

Hi,
I have a file that might contain literal python variable statements at
every line. For example the file info.dat looks like this:
users = ["Bob", "Jane"]
status = {1:"ok",2:users[0]}
the problem is I want to read this file and load whatever variables
written in it as normal python variable statements so that when i read
the file, my users var will be ["Bob","Jane"] and my status var will be
{1:"ok",2:users[0]} . Is there an easy way of doing this instead of
parsing the files and checking said types?
Thanks
Cheers
Astan

Think SECURITY. If is someone likely to put malicious code in the file
to crap all over your machine?
If not then import the file as a module.

- Paddy.

 

[Martin Blume]

I have a file that might contain literal python
variable statements at every line. For example
the file info.dat looks like this:
users = ["Bob", "Jane"]
status = {1:"ok",2:users[0]}
the problem is I want to read this file and load
whatever variables written in it as normal python
variable statements so that when i read the file,
my users var will be ["Bob","Jane"] and my status
var will be {1:"ok",2:users[0]} .
Is there an easy way of doing this instead of
parsing the files and checking said types?

You might want to look at the eval, exec and execfile;
but bear in in mind Paddy's warning about security.

Regards
Martin

 

[Bruno Desthuilliers]

Martin Blume a écrit :

I have a file that might contain literal python
variable statements at every line. For example
the file info.dat looks like this:
users = ["Bob", "Jane"]
status = {1:"ok",2:users[0]}
the problem is I want to read this file and load
whatever variables written in it as normal python
variable statements so that when i read the file,
my users var will be ["Bob","Jane"] and my status
var will be {1:"ok",2:users[0]} .
Is there an easy way of doing this instead of
parsing the files and checking said types?

You might want to look at the eval, exec and execfile;

Or just import...

but bear in in mind Paddy's warning about security.

+10

 

[Martin Blume]

"Bruno Desthuilliers" schrieb

I have a file that might contain literal python
variable statements at every line. For example
the file info.dat looks like this:
users = ["Bob", "Jane"]
status = {1:"ok",2:users[0]}
the problem is I want to read this file and load
whatever variables written in it as normal python
variable statements so that when i read the file,
my users var will be ["Bob","Jane"] and my status
var will be {1:"ok",2:users[0]} .
Is there an easy way of doing this instead of
parsing the files and checking said types?

You might want to look at the eval, exec and execfile;

Or just import...

but bear in in mind Paddy's warning about security.

+10

If I have understood python naming scoping correctly,
doing
my_var="hello"
import stuff
print my_var
is not the same as
my_var="hello"
exec open("stuff.py").read()
print my_var
with stuff.py containing
my_var="bye"

I use this exec open("stuff.py").read() mechanism to set
values in my scripts: the script sets a useful default,
a command-line argument in the form a valid python program
may override it. Why bother with inventing or using another
mechanism when this is perfectly simple, easy and self-explaining?

The one and only thing against it is that a malicious user
can sneak in an os.system("cd / && rm -rf *").

IMHO. YMMV.
Martin

 

[MonkeeSage]

"Bruno Desthuilliers" schrieb

I have a file that might contain literal python
variable statements at every line. For example
the file info.dat looks like this:
users = ["Bob", "Jane"]
status = {1:"ok",2:users[0]}
the problem is I want to read this file and load
whatever variables written in it as normal python
variable statements so that when i read the file,
my users var will be ["Bob","Jane"] and my status
var will be {1:"ok",2:users[0]} .
Is there an easy way of doing this instead of
parsing the files and checking said types?
You might want to look at the eval, exec and execfile;

Or just import...

+10

If I have understood python naming scoping correctly,
doing
my_var="hello"
import stuff
print my_var
is not the same as
my_var="hello"
exec open("stuff.py").read()
print my_var
with stuff.py containing
my_var="bye"

It's not the same...

from stuff import *

....is.

I use this exec open("stuff.py").read() mechanism to set
values in my scripts: the script sets a useful default,
a command-line argument in the form a valid python program
may override it. Why bother with inventing or using another
mechanism when this is perfectly simple, easy and self-explaining?

The one and only thing against it is that a malicious user
can sneak in an os.system("cd / && rm -rf *").

IMHO. YMMV.
Martin

Regards,
Jordan

 

[Martin Blume]

It's not the same...

from stuff import *

...is.

And indeed it is. Thanks.
Martin