best approach for an application config file

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Sokrates
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best approach for an application config file

Post by Sokrates » Sun Jan 17, 2016 2:38 pm

Hello,

I need a config file for the application running on my pyboard.

I need to read/modify a specific attribute on the file and possible create new file if it is missing.

My initial approach would be using xml and I'm wondering if anybody could suggest a lib to use. I found the following xmltok but it seems to be just a reader, not a writer.
https://pypi.python.org/pypi/micropython-xmltok

Any suggestion would be more than welcome.

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dhylands
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Re: best approach for an application config file

Post by dhylands » Sun Jan 17, 2016 4:49 pm

I've always thought that xml was too wordy, so I personally wouldn't use it unless I had to for compatability.

ujson is builtin to MicroPython
http://docs.micropython.org/en/latest/l ... ujson.html

That works well for simple types (dicts, lists, string, numbers).

I've also used python source code as a configuration format (although typically for read-only config)

dastultz
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Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:56 am

Re: best approach for an application config file

Post by dastultz » Sun Jan 17, 2016 5:32 pm

I'm with Dave on the wordy XML thing. I'd certainly give JSON a try but I'd favor YAML for super clean syntax.

/Daryl

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pythoncoder
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Re: best approach for an application config file

Post by pythoncoder » Sun Jan 17, 2016 5:53 pm

My preferred option is pickle (in the micropython library). Unlike (u)json all native Python data types are supported. The principal drawback is security: if the pickled file can be modified by ill-intentioned people they can force the execution of arbitrary Python code. If that's a problem I'd use json.
Peter Hinch
Index to my micropython libraries.

Sokrates
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Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:24 pm

Re: best approach for an application config file

Post by Sokrates » Mon Jan 18, 2016 10:08 pm

thanks to everybody. I thinks I will go with ujson.

Following some examples that I found on line for future reference:

Write data to a file:

Code: Select all

import json

config = {'key1': 'value1', 'key2': 'value2'}

f = open('config.json', 'w')
f.write(ujson.dumps(config))
f.close()
Read data from a file:

Code: Select all

import json

f = open('config.json', 'r')
c = ujson.loads(f.readall())

#edit the data
config['key3'] = 'value3'

#write it back to the file
f = open('config.json', 'w')
f.write(ujson.dumps(config))
f.close()
 
Some more info about nested dictionaries:

Code: Select all

>>> d = {}
>>> d['dict1']['innerkey1'] = 'value1'
>>> d['dict2']['innerkey2'] = 'value2'
{'dict1': {'innerkey1': 'value1'},'dict2': {'innerkey2': 'value2'}}
 

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pythoncoder
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Re: best approach for an application config file

Post by pythoncoder » Tue Jan 19, 2016 7:21 am

@Sokrates Your nested dictionary example won't work as posted. Try:

Code: Select all

>>> d = {}
>>> d['dict1'] ={}
>>> d['dict2'] ={}
>>> d['dict1']['innerkey1'] = 'value1'
>>> d['dict2']['innerkey2'] = 'value2'
>>> d
{'dict2': {'innerkey2': 'value2'}, 'dict1': {'innerkey1': 'value1'}}
>>> 
Peter Hinch
Index to my micropython libraries.

dastultz
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Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:56 am

Re: best approach for an application config file

Post by dastultz » Tue Jan 19, 2016 10:29 pm

pythoncoder wrote:@Sokrates Your nested dictionary example won't work as posted.
defaultdict to the rescue!
https://www.accelebrate.com/blog/using- ... ct-python/

Sokrates
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:24 pm

Re: best approach for an application config file

Post by Sokrates » Tue Jan 19, 2016 10:50 pm

pythoncoder wrote:@Sokrates Your nested dictionary example won't work as posted. Try:

Code: Select all

>>> d = {}
>>> d['dict1'] ={}
>>> d['dict2'] ={}
>>> d['dict1']['innerkey1'] = 'value1'
>>> d['dict2']['innerkey2'] = 'value2'
>>> d
{'dict2': {'innerkey2': 'value2'}, 'dict1': {'innerkey1': 'value1'}}
>>> 
Yes, you are right. Thanks for pointing it out.

maruel
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Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:35 pm

Re: best approach for an application config file

Post by maruel » Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:44 pm

[quote="pythoncoder"]My preferred option is pickle (in the micropython library). Unlike (u)json all native Python data types are supported. The principal drawback is security: if the pickled file can be modified by ill-intentioned people they can force the execution of arbitrary Python code. If that's a problem I'd use json.[/quote]

Hi, sorry for reviving this old thread but I looked everywhere and couldn't find an answer.

You mention that you use pickle and it's part of the micropython standard library. However, I could only find a dummy implementation of pickle (at least for the ESP8266 version which is what I'm using). See https://github.com/micropython/micropyt ... ter/pickle

Any ideas on if and how I could use pickle? I'm currently using json but it would make my life so much easier to have pickle...

Many thanks,

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pythoncoder
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Re: best approach for an application config file

Post by pythoncoder » Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:58 pm

I'm not sure what you mean by a "dummy implementation". The version in the link provided works. Note that the pickle files aren't interchangeable with those created by CPython. There is also this issue https://github.com/micropython/micropython/issues/2280. Otherwise I'm not aware of any problem with the version in the library.
Peter Hinch
Index to my micropython libraries.

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