How can I avoid a forest of apostrophes? - python-3.x

Question

Using Python 3.7, I have this confusing-looking, nested dictionary:
dict = \
{
'HBL_Posts':
{'vNames':[ 'id_no', 'display_msg_no', 'thread', 'headline', 'category', 'author',
'auth_addr', 'author_pic_line', 'postbody',
'last_msg_no', 'mf_lnk', 'subject_header' ],
'data_fname':'_Posts_plain.htm', 'tpl_fname':'_Posts_tpl.htm', 'addrs_fname':'_addrs.csv' },
'MOTM':
{'vNames':[ 'work_month', 'zoom', 'zoom_id', 'headline', 'description', 'subject_header' ],
'data_fname':'_Posts_plain.htm', 'tpl_fname':'_Posts_tpl.htm', 'addrs_fname':'_addrs.csv'},
'MOTM recording':
{'vNames':[ 'topic', 'description', 'wDate', 'box', 'chat'],
'data_fname':'_Recording_data.htm', 'tpl_fname':'_Recording_tpl.htm', 'addrs_fname':'_addrs.csv'},
'Enticement':
{'vNames':[ 'enticing_post', 'headline', 'hb_preface', 'postscript'],
'data_fname':'_Entice_data.htm', 'tpl_fname':'_Entice_tpl.htm', 'addrs_fname':'_entice.csv'}
}
If I initially set each variable to its own name, like: HBL_Posts = 'HBL_Posts', I can substitute this, much clearer and less typo-prone, code:
dict = \
{
HBL_Posts:
{vNames:[ id_no, display_msg_no, thread, headline, category, author,
auth_addr, author_pic_line, postbody,
last_msg_no, mf_lnk, subject_header ],
data_fname:_Posts_plain.htm, tpl_fname:_Posts_tpl.htm, addrs_fname:_addrs.csv },
MOTM:
{vNames:[ work_month, zoom, zoom_id, headline, description, subject_header ],
data_fname:_Posts_plain.htm, tpl_fname:_Posts_tpl.htm, addrs_fname:_addrs.csv},
MOTM recording:
{vNames:[ topic, description, wDate, box, chat],
data_fname:_Recording_data.htm, tpl_fname:_Recording_tpl.htm, addrs_fname:_addrs.csv},
Enticement:
{vNames:[ enticing_post, headline, hb_preface, postscript],
data_fname:_Entice_data.htm, tpl_fname:_Entice_tpl.htm, addrs_fname:_entice.csv}
}
In fact I accomplished this by just doing all the required assignments, one at a time. But that is about as complicated as the original dictionary set up, with the apostrophes. What I'd like is a function that would enable me to do this neatly and economically.
def self_name(s):
[?????]
Then I could have a list of all the variables, vars_lst, and loop through it setting each to the literal version of itself:
for item in vars_lst:
item = self_name(item)
To avoid having to use apostrophes in setting up vars_lst, I would accept doing:
HBL_Posts = vNames = id_no = . . . = ''
After many, many hours of struggle, I have been unable to supply the needed code for the self_name function. How can I do that, or how can I find another way of avoiding so many apostrophes?

Answer 1

Indent it like JSON:
{
"HBL_Posts": {
"vNames": [
"id_no",
"display_msg_no",
"thread",
"headline",
"category",
"author",
"auth_addr",
"author_pic_line",
"postbody",
"last_msg_no",
"mf_lnk",
"subject_header"
],
"data_fname": "_Posts_plain.htm",
"tpl_fname": "_Posts_tpl.htm",
"addrs_fname": "_addrs.csv"
},
"MOTM": {
"vNames": [
"work_month",
"zoom",
"zoom_id",
"headline",
"description",
"subject_header"
],
"data_fname": "_Posts_plain.htm",
"tpl_fname": "_Posts_tpl.htm",
"addrs_fname": "_addrs.csv"
},
"MOTM recording": {
"vNames": [
"topic",
"description",
"wDate",
"box",
"chat"
],
"data_fname": "_Recording_data.htm",
"tpl_fname": "_Recording_tpl.htm",
"addrs_fname": "_addrs.csv"
},
"Enticement": {
"vNames": [
"enticing_post",
"headline",
"hb_preface",
"postscript"
],
"data_fname": "_Entice_data.htm",
"tpl_fname": "_Entice_tpl.htm",
"addrs_fname": "_entice.csv"
}
}
or even store that in a .json file and load it via:
import json
with open('my_file.json', 'r') as f:
my_dict = json.load(f)
JSON is easy for most people to read and the indentation is easy to see. Plus it is easy to save and read from a file so you don't have to clutter your code.
FYI:
You can pretty print a dictionary using:
import json
my_dict = ...
print(json.dumps(my_dict, indent=4))
which is how I printed your dictionary.