How to extract variable name and value from string in python

Question

I have a string

data = "var1 = {'id': '12345', 'name': 'John White'}"

Is there any way in python to extract var1 as a python variable. More specifically I am interested in the dictionary variables so that I can get value of vars: id and name.python

Although using the exec() function in Python is discouraged, it would be the easiest way to do what you want: exec("var1 = {'id': '12345', 'name': 'John White'}") — tjohnson
– tjohnson, Commented Feb 2, 2016 at 3:40

wim · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-02 03:42:20Z

6

This is the functionality provided by exec

>>> my_scope = {}
>>> data = "var1 = {'id': '12345', 'name': 'John White'}"
>>> exec(data, my_scope)
>>> my_scope['var1']
{'id': '12345', 'name': 'John White'}

edited Feb 2, 2016 at 3:42

answered Feb 2, 2016 at 3:41

wim

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2 Comments

python Over a year ago

Could you elaborate what exec is actually doing here?

wim Over a year ago

exec is the builtin for dynamic execution of code, there's not much to say other than what's already documented.

Kasravnd · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-02 03:43:10Z

2

You can split the string with = and evaluated the dictionary using ast.literal_eval function:

>>> import ast
>>> ast.literal_eval(ata.split('=')[1].strip())
{'id': '12345', 'name': 'John White'}

answered Feb 2, 2016 at 3:43

Kasravnd

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