Python3 - recursively replace all keys with periods in a nested dictionary - python-3.x

Question

I am trying to clean up a nested dictionary before inserting it into Mongo. Some of the keys in the dict have periods in them so I need to replace them with underscores. Based on other posts I have seen I have come up with this (not working) code sample:
def get_recursively(search_dict):
new_dict = {}
for key, value in search_dict.items():
if '.' in key or ' ' in key:
new_dict[key.replace('.', '_').replace(' ', '_').lower()] = value
elif isinstance(value, dict):
results = get_recursively(value)
for key2, value2 in results.items():
new_dict[key] = dict(key2, value2)
elif isinstance(value, list):
for item in value:
if isinstance(item, dict):
more_results = get_recursively(item)
for key3, value3 in more_results.items():
new_dict[key] = dict(key3, value3)
else:
new_dict[key] = value
return new_dict
I am trying to make a new dictionary because when I tried to modify the existing dictionary I got an error about the dictionary changing during execution.
The code that is not valid (at least) is:
dict(key2, value2)
That is not valid syntax but hopefully shows my thought process at least.
Any help much appreciated.

Answer 1

If I understood right, is this want you meant?
def change_chars(string, chars, new_char):
new_string = string
for char in chars:
new_string = new_string.replace(char, new_char)
return new_string
def recursively_change_keys(obj, chars, new_char):
if isinstance(obj, list):
return [
recursively_change_keys(o, chars, new_char)
for o in obj
]
elif isinstance(obj, dict):
return {
change_chars(key, chars, new_char): recursively_change_keys(value, chars, new_char)
for key, value in obj.items()
}
return obj
So you just have to call it like recursively_change(search_dict, [ ".", " " ], "_")

Answer 2

Try:
import json
d = {
"some.key": [
{
"key.1": {"a": 1},
"key.2": 2,
"key.3": {"key.4": [3, 4, 5], "key.5": 6},
}
]
}
def transform(d):
if isinstance(d, dict):
return {k.replace(".", "_"): transform(v) for k, v in d.items()}
elif isinstance(d, list):
return [transform(v) for v in d]
else:
return d
# pretty print the dictionary:
print(json.dumps(transform(d), indent=4))
Prints:
{
"some_key": [
{
"key_1": {
"a": 1
},
"key_2": 2,
"key_3": {
"key_4": [
3,
4,
5
],
"key_5": 6
}
}
]
}