How to simplify creating huge data structures in Python

Question

I am writing some and I need to pass a complicated data structure to some function.

The data structure goes like this:

{ 'animals': [ 'cows', 'moose', { 'properties': [ 9, 26 ] } ]
  'fruits': {
    'land': [ 'strawberries', 'other berries' ],
    'space': [ 'apples', 'cherries' ]
  }
}

This structure looks pretty ugly to me. Can you think of ways how to simplify writing such massive data structures?

PS. I made up this structure but my real structure is very similar tho.

What's wrong with it? A dictionary of lists and dictionaries has no real problem with it. What are you concerned? What's wrong with it? — S.Lott
– S.Lott, Commented Feb 28, 2010 at 21:46
you have to describe your program in more detail. Are the properties [9, 26] the properties of the animals? — Otto Allmendinger
– Otto Allmendinger, Commented Feb 28, 2010 at 21:51
` [ 'cows', 'moose', { 'properties': [ 9, 26 ] } ]` is undesireable. Lists gain power when all the elements share the same type (or at least the same duck-typable properties). — unutbu
– unutbu, Commented Feb 28, 2010 at 21:51

Denise · Accepted Answer · 2010-02-28 22:01:57Z

5

Other languages would solve this problem with objects or structs-- so, something like:

class whatever:
    animals = AnimalObject()
    fruits = FruitObject()

class AnimalObject:
    animals = ['cows','moose']
    properties = [9,26]

class FruitObject:
    land = ['strawberries', 'other berries']
    space = ['apples', 'cherries']

Of course, this only works if you know ahead of time what form the data is going to take. If you don't, then maps/lists are your only choice ;-)

answered Feb 28, 2010 at 22:01

Denise

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Otto Allmendinger · Accepted Answer · 2010-02-28 22:02:53Z

2

Use objects. You are working with basic types like strings and dictionaries while objects are more powerful.
Use function arguments. You can pass the the first-level keys in your dictionary as arguments to your function:

def yourfunction(animals, fruits)
    # do things with fruits and animals
    pass

edited Feb 28, 2010 at 22:02

answered Feb 28, 2010 at 21:50

Otto Allmendinger

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2 Comments

Esteban Küber Over a year ago

Or he can leave his structure as it is and pass it as yourfunction(*his_variable)

Otto Allmendinger Over a year ago

@voyager less expressive in my opinion

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