cleanup: default to json when dict is used for input/output type

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Update deps (Linux)
         run: |
-          go install github.com/extism/cli/extism@latest
+          go install github.com/extism/cli/extism@main
           cd /tmp
           # get just wasm-merge and wasm-opt
           curl -L https://github.com/WebAssembly/binaryen/releases/download/version_116/binaryen-version_116-x86_64-linux.tar.gz > binaryen.tar.gz
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Update deps (Windows)
         run: |
           powershell -executionpolicy bypass -File .\install-wasi-sdk.ps1
-          go install github.com/extism/cli/extism@latest
+          go install github.com/extism/cli/extism@main
           Remove-Item -Recurse -Path "c:\Program files\Binaryen" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue > $null 2>&1
           New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "c:\Program files\Binaryen" -ErrorAction Stop > $null 2>&1
           Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/WebAssembly/binaryen/releases/download/version_116/binaryen-version_116-x86_64-windows.tar.gz" -OutFile "$env:TMP\binaryen-version_116-x86_64-windows.tar.gz"

Makefile

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ core:
 
 test: examples
 	EXTISM_ENABLE_WASI_OUTPUT=1 extism call ./examples/count-vowels.wasm count_vowels --wasi --input "this is a test"
-	# EXTISM_ENABLE_WASI_OUTPUT=1 extism call ./examples/imports.wasm count_vowels --wasi --input "this is a test" --link example=./examples/imports_example.wasm
+	EXTISM_ENABLE_WASI_OUTPUT=1 extism call ./examples/imports.wasm count_vowels --wasi --input "this is a test" --link example=./examples/imports_example.wasm
 
 
 .PHONY: examples

lib/src/prelude.py

@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ def _alloc(x):
         return ffi.memory.alloc(x.encode()).offset
     elif isinstance(x, bytes):
         return ffi.memory.alloc(x).offset
+    elif isinstance(x, dict):
+        return ffi.memory.alloc(json.dumps(x)).offset
     elif isinstance(x, Codec):
         return ffi.memory.alloc(x.encode()).offset
     elif isinstance(x, ffi.memory.MemoryHandle):
@@ -65,8 +67,12 @@ def _read(t, x):
         return ffi.memory.string(mem)
     elif t == bytes:
         return ffi.memory.bytes(mem)
+    elif t == dict:
+        return json.loads(ffi.memory.string(mem))
     elif t == Json:
         return Json.decode(ffi.memory.bytes(mem))
+    elif t == ffi.memory.MemoryHandle:
+        return mem
     else:
         raise Exception(f"Unsupported python type: {t}")