Convert Dot notation string into nested Python object with Dictionaries and arrays

Question

Background

For some background, I\'m trying to create a tool that converts worksheets into API calls using Python 3.5

For the conversion of the table cells

Answer 1

So I'm not sure if there are any caveats in this solution, but this appears to work for some of the use cases i'm throwing at it:

import json, re
def build_job():

    def branch(tree, vector, value):
        
        # Originally based on https://stackoverflow.com/a/47276490/2903486

        # Convert Boolean
        if isinstance(value, str):
            value = value.strip()

            if value.lower() in ['true', 'false']:
                value = True if value.lower() == "true" else False

        # Convert JSON
        try:
            value = json.loads(value)
        except:
            pass
        
        key = vector[0]
        arr = re.search('\[([0-9]+)\]', key)
            
        if arr:
            
            # Get the index of the array, and remove it from the key name
            arr = arr.group(0)
            key = key.replace(arr,'')
            arr = int(arr.replace('[','').replace(']',''))
            
            if key not in tree:
                
                # If we dont have an array already, turn the dict from the previous 
                # recursion into an array and append to it
                tree[key] = []
                tree[key].append(value \
                    if len(vector) == 1 \
                    else branch({} if key in tree else {},
                                vector[1:],
                                value))
            else:
                
                # Check to see if we are inside of an existing array here
                isInArray = False
                for i in range(len(tree[key])):
                    if tree[key][i].get(vector[1:][0], False):
                        isInArray = tree[key][i][vector[1:][0]]
                        
                if isInArray and arr < len(tree[key]) \
                   and isinstance(tree[key][arr], list):
                    # Respond accordingly by appending or updating the value
                    tree[key][arr].append(value \
                        if len(vector) == 1 \
                        else branch(tree[key] if key in tree else {},
                                    vector[1:],
                                    value))
                else:
                    # Make sure we have an index to attach the requested array to
                    while arr >= len(tree[key]):
                        tree[key].append({})

                    # update the existing array with a dict
                    tree[key][arr].update(value \
                        if len(vector) == 1 \
                        else branch(tree[key][arr] if key in tree else {},
                                    vector[1:],
                                    value))
            
            # Turn comma deliminated values to lists
            if len(vector) == 1 and len(tree[key]) == 1:
                tree[key] = value.split(",")
        else:
            # Add dictionaries together
            tree.update({key: value \
                if len(vector) == 1 \
                else branch(tree[key] if key in tree else {},
                            vector[1:],
                            value)})
        return tree

    file = [{
        "one.array[0].dict.dont-worry-about-me": "some value",
        "one.array[0].dict.arrOne[0]": "1,2,3",
        "one.array[0].dict.arrTwo[1]": "4,5,6",
        "one.array[1].x.y[0].z[0].id": "789"
    }]
    rowList = []
    for row in file:
        rowObj = {}
        for colName, rowValue in row.items():
            rowObj.update(branch(rowObj, colName.split("."), rowValue))
        rowList.append(rowObj)
    return rowList
print(json.dumps(build_job(), indent=4))

Result:

[
    {
        "one": {
            "array": [
                {
                    "dict": {
                        "dont-worry-about-me": "some value",
                        "arrOne": [
                            "1",
                            "2",
                            "3"
                        ],
                        "arrTwo": [
                            "4",
                            "5",
                            "6"
                        ]
                    }
                },
                {
                    "x": {
                        "y": [
                            {
                                "z": [
                                    {
                                        "id": 789
                                    }
                                ]
                            }
                        ]
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    }
]