Python unittest - asserting dictionary with lists

Question

While writing some tests for my class, I encountered interesting simple problem. I would like to assertDictEqual two dictionaries containing some list. But this lists may not be

Answer 1

maybe you can check for the two elements separately:

    obj_dict = obj.exportToDict()
    self.assertEqual(resulting_dictionary['state'], obj_dict['state'])
    self.assertCountEqual(resulting_dictionary['neighbours'], obj_dict['neighbours'])

Answer 2

You can do:

a = {i:sorted(j) if isinstance(j, list) else j for i,j in resulting_dictionary.iteritems()}
b = {i:sorted(j) if isinstance(j, list) else j for i,j in obj.exportToDict().iteritems()}
self.assertDictEqual(a, b)

Answer 3

How about using all:

assert all( (k,v) in resulting_dictionary.iteritems() 
            for (k,v) in obj.exportToDict().iteritems() )

I use something like this with py.test, but I think it should work for you.

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A commenter pointed out that the order will screw me here---fair enough...I'd just use sets, then.

Answer 4

You might try PyHamcrest (Example corrected)

assert_that(obj.exportToDict(), has_entries(
                                    { 'state': 2347,
                                      'neighbours': contains_inanyorder(1,2,3) }))

(The first value 2347 actually gets wrapped in an implicit equal_to matcher.)