Dictionary with declared structure in Python

Tiny extension for defaultdict Python's class. Use this library if you need to ensure or force concrete structure for your dictionary and use it as normal dictionary then.

Install from sources.

First stable and tested version will be added to PyPi soon.

You can provide desired dictionary's structure and specify action for non desired usage e.g. specify action if someone uses unexpected key or value.

You can also specify required and/or default values for specified keys.

desired_default_structure = {
    'a': 1,
    'c': None
}

options = {
    "missing_keys": Idict.OPT.THROW,
    "ellipsis_as_mandatory": True
}

my_dict = Idict(desired_default_structure, options)

my_dict['a'] = 1

print(repr(my_dict))
# {'a': 1, 'c': None}

[ missing_keys ] - action if unspecified key usage

options = {
    "missing_keys": Idict.OPT.ALLOW
}

possible options: Idict.OPT.

• ALLOW [default value] - allow all other keys and just add to the dictionary.

• IGNORE - ignore keys not available in specified interface and allow only specified keys. Always keep the same, desired structure. Ignore tries to change dictionary structure.

• THROW - throw an exception KeyNotAllowedException if someone tries to set key-value for unspecified key. Throw an exception ValueNotAllowedException if someone tries to change specified key-value structure. See examples below.

  Key not allowed:

      my_dict = Idict({'a': None, 'b': {'bb1': None}}, {"missing_keys": Idict.OPT.THROW})
      my_dict['non_existing_key'] = 123
  
      '''
      KeyNotAllowedException
      [Key Error] You are trying to set value for key <non_existing> for your Idict 
      <your_dict:Idict> but this key is disallowed and doesnt exist in the provided interface
      '''

  Trying to overwritte expected structure and set integer where dictionary should be:

  my_dict = Idict({'a': {'aa': {'aaa': 1}}}, options={"missing_keys": Idict.OPT.THROW})
  my_dict['a']['aa'] = 123
  
  '''
  ValueNotAllowedException: 
  [Value Error] Trying to set value <123> for object , key <aa> 
  but in provided interface there is a dictionary under this key - {'aa': {'aaa': 1}}.
  You cannot change expected objects structure
  '''

[ ellipsis_as_mandatory ] - [default = True] use Ellipsis (...) as a tag for mandatory keys.
If this option is settled to True then, upon validation, library will check if every key with Ellipsis value has new value settled. Dictionary will be valid as long as every value tagged by ... has new value. Otherwise dict.validate() will throw an excaption MandatoryKeyValueException.

options = {
    "ellipsis_as_mandatory": True
}

possible options:

• True
• False

Example:

# use Ellipsis - ... as a tag for mandatory values
my_dict = Idict({'a': {'aa': None}, 'b': ...}, options={"ellipsis_as_mandatory": True})

my_dict.validate()

# THROWS:
# MandatoryKeyValueException: Key value for key [b]
# is mandatory. Set value for this key or set default value in provided interface. 

my_dict['b'] = "anything"

my_dict.validate()
# OK, no exception, result = True

• Allow specified and unspecified keys:

  Default structure and default values are specified in advance. We allow other key-value pairs, not only specified ones.

  my_dict = Idict({
      'a': 1,
      'b': 2,
      'c': {
          'cc': 3,
      },
      'd': {
          'dd': {
              'ddd': 4
          },
      },
  })
  
  # set/overwrite some values
  my_dict['a'] = 11
  my_dict['c']['cc'] = 33
  my_dict['d']['dd']['new-value'] = 44
  my_dict['e']['ee'] = 55
  
  print(repr(my_dict))
  # {'a': 11, 'b': 2, 'c': {'cc': 33}, 'd': {'dd': {'ddd': 4, 'new-value': 44}}, 'e': {'ee': 55}}

• Ignore unexpected keys:

  Allow only specified structure, ignore all other key-value pairs.

  my_dict = Idict({
      'a': 1,
      'c': {
          'cc1': 3,
          'cc2': 4,
      }
  }, {
      "missing_keys": Idict.OPT.IGNORE,
  })
  
  # set/overwrite some values
  my_dict['a'] = 11
  my_dict['b'] = 22
  my_dict['c']['cc1'] = 33
  my_dict['d'] = 55
  
  
  print(repr(my_dict))
  # {'a': 11, 'c': {'cc1': 33, 'cc2': 4}}

• Allow only specified keys usage or throw an exception KeyNotAllowedException

  Throw an exception (KeyNotAllowedException) in case of trying to set value for disallowed key:

  dict1 = Idict({
      'a': None,
      'b': {
          'bb1': None,
          'bb2': None
      }
  }, {
      "missing_keys": Idict.OPT.THROW
  })
  
  try:
     dict1['non_existing_key'] = "value"
  except KeyNotAllowedException as ex:
      print(ex)
      # [Key Error] You are trying to set value 
      # for key  for your Idict 
      #  but this key is disallowed 
      # and doesnt exist in the provided interface

• Changing default/provided default dictionary's structure

      desired_structure = {
          'a': 'default value <a>',
          'b': {
              'bb1': 'default value ',
          }
      }
  
      my_dict = Idict(desired_structure, {
          "missing_keys": Idict.OPT.ALLOW
      })
  
      my_dict_ign = Idict(desired_structure, {
          "missing_keys": Idict.OPT.IGNORE
      })
  
      my_dict_thr = Idict(desired_structure, {
          "missing_keys": Idict.OPT.THROW
      })
  
      my_dict['b'] = 123
      print(repr(my_dict))
      # OK, result: {'a': 'default value <a>', 'b': 123}
  
      my_dict_ign['b'] = 123
      print(repr(my_dict_ign))
      # illegal trying to change desired dictionary structure
      # this operation will be ignored
      # OK, no exception, result: {'a': 'default value ', 'b': {'bb1': 'default value '}}
  
      my_dict_thr['b'] = 123
      # illegal trying to change desired dictionary structure
      # result: raise ValueNotAllowedException as below
      
      # ValueNotAllowedException: [Value Error] Trying to set value <123> 
      # for object <your_dict:Idict>, key <b> but in provided interface there 
      # is a dictionary under this key - <interface>
      # {'a': 'default value ', 'b': {'bb1': 'default value '}}. 
      # You cannot change expected objects structure

• Validate dictionary, check mandatory keys.

  Check if all mandatory keys (marked by Ellipsis - ...) are overwritten/settled

  my_dict1 = Idict({
      'a': None,
      'b': {
          'bb1': None,
          'bb2': ...
      },
  })
  
  try:
      my_dict1.validate()
  except MandatoryKeyValueException as e:
      # Key value for key [b][bb2] is mandatory.
      # Set value for this key or set default value in provided interface.
      pass
  
  my_dict1['b']['bb2'] = 123
  
  print(repr(my_dict1))
  # no Exception, all mandatory keys have value settled
  # {'a': None, 'b': {'bb1': None, 'bb2': 123}}
      

• Slawomir Hadas - author - Github

See ./tests for more examples