how to create a nested dict..

[wardancer84]

its me again, i guess i will never get my head around this language.

i have the following code..

def get_niminfo(self):
        file = '/etc/niminfo'
        niminfo = {}
        niminfo = niminfo['niminfo'] = {}

        try:
            if os.path.exists(file):
                niminfo = dict(
                    (k.strip(), v.strip(' "\n')) for k, v in (
                        line.split(
                            ' ', 1)[1].split(
                                '=', 1) for line in (
                                    (l for l in open(
                                        file, 'r') if l.startswith('export'))) if not re.match(
                                            r'^\s*$', line)))
        except IOError as e:
            module.warnings.append('could not read /etc/niminfo')
            niminfo = {}
        return niminfo

it returns the following (ignore the "ansible_" prefix)...

"ansible_facts": {
        "ansible_NIM_BOSINST_DATA": "/NIM_BOSINST_DATA",
        "ansible_NIM_BOSINST_RECOVER": "/../SPOT/usr/lpp/bos.sysmgt/nim/methods/c_bosinst_env -a hostname=host1",
        "ansible_NIM_BOS_FORMAT": "mksysb",
        "ansible_NIM_BOS_IMAGE": "/NIM_BOS_IMAGE",
        "ansible_NIM_CONFIGURATION": "standalone",
        "ansible_NIM_CUSTOM": "/../SPOT/usr/lpp/bos.sysmgt/nim/methods/c_script -a location=nimserver:/export/nim/scripts/host1.script",
        "ansible_NIM_FIPS_MODE": "0",
        "ansible_NIM_HOSTNAME": "host1",
        "ansible_NIM_HOSTS": "127.0.0.1:loopback:localhost  10.0.0.1:host1  10.0.0.2:nimserver",
        "ansible_NIM_LICENSE_ACCEPT": "yes",
        "ansible_NIM_MASTERID": "00F7089898989",
        "ansible_NIM_MASTER_HOSTNAME": "nimserver",
        "ansible_NIM_MASTER_PORT": "1058",
        "ansible_NIM_MOUNTS": "nimserver:/export/lpp_source/aix72/7200-00-02-1614:/SPOT/usr/sys/inst.images:dir  nimserver:/export/nim/niminstall/bosinstdata/bos_wop_mirror:/NIM_BOSINST_DATA:file  nimserver:/export/mksysb/mksysb_master_aix72_00:/NIM_BOS_IMAGE:file",
        "ansible_NIM_NAME": "host1",
        "ansible_NIM_REGISTRATION_PORT": "1059",
        "ansible_NIM_SHELL": "shell",
        "ansible_RC_CONFIG": "rc.bos_inst",
        "ansible_SPOT": "nimserver:/export/spot/spot_aix72_00/spot_aix72_00/usr", }

but my intention was this

"niminfo": {
        "NIM_BOSINST_DATA": "/NIM_BOSINST_DATA",
        "NIM_BOSINST_RECOVER": "/../SPOT/usr/lpp/bos.sysmgt/nim/methods/c_bosinst_env -a hostname=host1",
        "NIM_BOS_FORMAT": "mksysb",
        "NIM_BOS_IMAGE": "/NIM_BOS_IMAGE",
        "NIM_CONFIGURATION": "standalone",
        "NIM_CUSTOM": "/../SPOT/usr/lpp/bos.sysmgt/nim/methods/c_script -a location=nimserver:/export/nim/scripts/host1.script",
        "NIM_FIPS_MODE": "0",
        "NIM_HOSTNAME": "host1",
        "NIM_HOSTS": "127.0.0.1:loopback:localhost  10.0.0.1:host1  10.0.0.2:nimserver",
        "NIM_LICENSE_ACCEPT": "yes",
        "NIM_MASTERID": "00F7089898989",
        "NIM_MASTER_HOSTNAME": "nimserver",
        "NIM_MASTER_PORT": "1058",
        "NIM_MOUNTS": "nimserver:/export/lpp_source/aix72/7200-00-02-1614:/SPOT/usr/sys/inst.images:dir  nimserver:/export/nim/niminstall/bosinstdata/bos_wop_mirror:/NIM_BOSINST_DATA:file  nimserver:/export/mksysb/mksysb_master_aix72_00:/NIM_BOS_IMAGE:file",
        "NIM_NAME": "host1",
        "NIM_REGISTRATION_PORT": "1059",
        "NIM_SHELL": "shell",
        "RC_CONFIG": "rc.bos_inst",
        "SPOT": "nimserver:/export/spot/spot_aix72_00/spot_aix72_00/usr", }

so how to get the additional dict level in?

[Larz60+]

mydict = {
    'Boston': {
        'Resturants': {
            'Spoke Wine Bar': {
                'Addr1': '89 Holland St',
                'City': 'Sommerville',
                'ZipCode': '02144',
                'Phone': '617-718-9463'
            },
            'Highland Kitchen': {
                'Addr1': '150 Highland Ave',
                'City': 'Sommerville',
                'ZipCode': '02144',
                'Phone': '617-625-1131'
            }
        },
        'Hotels': {
            ....
        }
    }
}

[wardancer84]

ah, ok...but i have no clue how to implement this in my code...

[Gribouillis]

it returns the following (ignore the "ansible_" prefix)...

It can't return what you said, because your result is not a python object, neither is your expected output. It makes the question impossible to answer.

If you've read "the zen of python", you know that

Beautiful is better than ugly.

That's why we try to avoid very long and obfuscated list comprehensions. The code would be better with line 8-15 split in several steps.

[wardancer84]

hmm..ok. will try my luck at another place.

[Larz60+]

Here's how you can build a dictionary on the fly:

#  Author: Larz60+ Nov 22, 2018
import os


class CreateDict:
    def __init__(self):
        os.chdir(os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__)))

    def new_dict(self, dictname):
        setattr(self, dictname, {})

    def add_node(self, parent, nodename):
        node = parent[nodename] = {}
        return node
    
    def add_cell(self, nodename, cellname, value):
        cell =  nodename[cellname] = value
        return cell

    def display_dict(self, dictname, level=0):
        indent = " " * (4 * level)
        for key, value in dictname.items():
            if isinstance(value, dict):
                print(f'\n{indent}{key}')
                level += 1
                self.display_dict(value, level)
            else:
                print(f'{indent}{key}: {value}')
            if level > 0:
                level -= 1


def testit():
    cd = CreateDict()
    cd.new_dict('CityList')
    boston = cd.add_node(cd.CityList, 'Boston')
    bos_resturants = cd.add_node(boston, 'Resturants')
    spoke = cd.add_node(bos_resturants, 'Spoke Wine Bar')
    cd.add_cell(spoke, 'Addr1', '89 Holland St')
    cd.add_cell(spoke, 'City', 'Sommerville')
    cd.add_cell(spoke, 'Addr1', '02144')
    cd.add_cell(spoke, 'Phone', '617-718-9463')

    highland = cd.add_node(bos_resturants, 'Highland Kitchen')
    cd.add_cell(highland, 'Addr1', '150 Highland Ave')
    cd.add_cell(highland, 'City', 'Sommerville')
    cd.add_cell(highland, 'ZipCode', '02144')
    cd.add_cell(highland, 'Phone', '617-625-1131')

    print(f'\nCityList Dictionary')
    cd.display_dict(cd.CityList)
    print(f'\nraw data: {cd.CityList}')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    testit()

The test routing has the code to reproduce the sample dictionary I show above in post #2

Output:
Boston

    Resturants

        Spoke Wine Bar
            Addr1: 02144
            City: Sommerville
            Phone: 617-718-9463

        Highland Kitchen
            Addr1: 150 Highland Ave
            City: Sommerville
            ZipCode: 02144
            Phone: 617-625-1131

raw data: {'Boston': {'Resturants': {'Spoke Wine Bar': {'Addr1': '02144', 'City': 'Sommerville', 'Phone': '617-718-9463'}, 'Highland Kitchen': {'Addr1': '150 Highland Ave', 'City': 'Sommerville', 'ZipCode': '02144', 'Phone': '617-625-1131'}}}}