How to pass an array of integers as a parameter from javascript to python?

Question

I have a javascript code that obtains the value of several checked boxes and inserts their value (integers) into an array:

var my_list = $('.item:checked').map(function(){return $(this).attr('name');}).get();

I want to pass this javascript array to a python function as a paramter. This is how I am doing it right now, with ajax and jQuery:

$.ajax({
    url : "{{tg.url('/foo/bar')}}",
    data : {
            my_list: JSON.stringify(my_list),
        ...
    },

On the python side, I have this code, to get the parameters:

item_list = get_paramw(kw, 'my_list', unicode)

This works, but I am not receiving the array as an array of integers, but as a single string containing the "[", "]", "," and """ symbols, which I would have to parse and isn't the most elegant way of dealing with this whole situation I think.

How should it be done to receive a javascript array of integers as an array of integers in python (not as a string)?

I think that it is the most elegant way of dealing with that situation. The step you need is to parse the JSON in the python side: pymotw.com/2/json — acdcjunior
– acdcjunior, Commented Aug 16, 2013 at 23:36
What framework/interface are you using to run this Python code? It might already have functionality to handle JSON built-in. If not… then it's just a call to json.parse, as acdcjunior suggests. — abarnert
– abarnert, Commented Aug 16, 2013 at 23:39
OK, I've never used TurboGears. You may want to look through the docs or ask around on a TurboGears forum to see if it has any JSON functionality. But meanwhile, I can write you a generic answer. — abarnert
– abarnert, Commented Aug 16, 2013 at 23:45

abarnert · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-16 23:47:04Z

3

The easiest way to send simple arbitrarily-structured data from Javascript to Python is JSON. You've already got the Javascript side of it, in that JSON.stringify(my_list). All you need is the Python side. And it's one line of code:

item_list_json = get_paramw(kw, 'my_list', unicode)
item_list = json.loads(item_list_json)

If item_list in your JS code were the Javascript array of numbers [1, 2, 3, 4], item_list in your Python code would be the Python list of ints [1, 2, 3, 4].

(Well, you also have to import json at the top of your script, so I guess it's two lines.)

answered Aug 16, 2013 at 23:47

abarnert

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Antti Haapala · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-17 00:53:32Z

1

The proper way to send multiple values for one key is

data: {
    my_list: my_list,
},
traditional: true
...

Suppose my_list = [ 1, 2, 3 ], this results a query string / POST data

my_list=1&my_list=2&my_list=3

Without the traditional flag, the result would be

my_list[]=1&my_list[]=2&my_list[]=3

Which of course works, but in TurboGears you need to access it as my_list[].

On the other hand, I am not sure if the TG keyword argument passing work with multiple values; if you get a single value in kw, you can use request.getall('foo') to return all the foo keys as a list (possibly an empty list).

answered Aug 17, 2013 at 0:53

Antti Haapala

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