Dicta

Dicta is a subclass of Python's dict that behaves like a normal nested dictionary but with added key features:

• Detects changes in its data structure and triggers a callback (optional).
• Automatically syncs its data with a JSON file (optional).
• Imports and exports data from JSON files.

Features

• Behaves like a regular dict and supports all dict, list, tuple, and set methods.
• Supports nesting of various data types including dict, list, tuple, set, and custom objects.
• Optionally encodes non-serializable objects to a binary string when writing data to a file.
• Decodes binary strings back to non-serializable objects when reading from a file.
• Imports additional data from JSON files.
• Exports data to JSON files.

Installation

To install Dicta, use pip:

pip install dicta

Usage

Here's how to use Dicta:

import dicta

# Core functionality:

# Declare the 'Dicta' class.
my_dicta = dicta.Dicta()

# Set a sync file path.
my_dicta.bind_file("data.json")

# Define a callback method
def callback():
    print("Data changed!")
    print(my_dicta)

# Bind the callback method to dicta
my_dicta.bind_callback(callback)

# Add data as you would with a normal dict:
my_dicta.update({"key": "value"})
my_dicta.update(key2="value2", key3="value3")
my_dicta["entities"] = {}
my_dicta["entities"]["persons"] = []
my_dicta["entities"]["persons"].append({"name": "john", "age": 23})
my_dicta["entities"]["persons"].append({"name": "peter", "age": 24})

# Use regular dict methods
del my_dicta["entities"]["persons"][0:1]
my_dicta["entities"].pop("persons")

# Dicta methods:

# Import data from a file:
my_dicta.pull("additional_data_file.json")

# Export the data to a file
my_dicta.push("data_backup.json")

# Get string representation of the Dicta
print(my_dicta.stringify())

# Get dict representation of the Dicta
dict_representation = my_dicta.dictify()

# Activate binary serialization to store sets or custom data objects in a sync file
my_dicta.set_serializer(True)
my_dicta["set"] = {1,2,4,5}
my_dicta["set"].add(6)

Reference

Dicta Class

Dicta(*args, **kwargs)
Dicta(dict)
Dicta(key=value,key2=value)

A dict subclass.

Parameters

• args (Optional)
• kwargs (Optional)

Return

• Dicta Class

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Methods

Dicta Methods

Dicta.bind_callback()

Dicta.bind_callback(callback)

Sets the callback method for the Dicta Class. Pass an event argument (optional) to receive the data modification event:

def my_callback(): 
    print(dicta)
Dicta.bind_callback(my_callback)

or

def my_callback(event): 
    print(event)
Dicta.bind_callback(my_callback)

Parameter

• callback (method)

Callback

• event (dict)

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Dicta.bind_file()

Dicta.bind_file(path, reset=False)

Sets the sync file to automatically store the data on data change. If reset=False (default) old data will remain and will be updated with new data . If reset=True the data wil be cleared when syncFile() is called.

Data sync is monodirectional! Though the data is automatically synced to your syncfile data is not synced to your dicta instance if filedata changes. Use Dicta.sync_file() to pull data from file into your dict.

Sync will fail if your dict contains non-serializable objects and binary serialization is not activated. For security reasons this is deactivated by default. You can activate binary serialization manually with Dicta.set_serializer(True).

If you activate the binary-serializer all non-serializable objects will be encoded to a binary string and packed into a dict labeled with the key '<serialized-object>'. See the reference for Dicta.set_serializer().

Parameter

• path (string)
• reset (bool) (optional / default = False)

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Dicta.pull()

Dicta.pull(path=None)     

Import data from a given JSON file (if path argument is given) or the binded sync file (if no path argument is given) into your Dicta instance. New data will be added to the DictObsercer, old data remains but will be overwritten if dict keys match.

Dicta.pull() >> pulls data from the file that was binded with Dicta.bind_file(path)
Dicta.pull('my/path.json') >> pulls data from the file at the given path        

Parameter

• path (string) (optional / default = None)

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Dicta.push()

Dicta.push(path, reset=True)

Export/Push data to a file. If reset=True the file will be cleared before pushing (default). If reset=False the data will be updated.

This will fail if your dict contains non-serializable objects and binary serialization is not activated. For security reasons this is deactivated by default. You can activate binary serialization by calling Dicta.set_serializer(True) before.

If you activate the binary-serializer all non-serializable objects will be encoded to a binary string and packed into a dict labeled with the key '<serialized-object>'. See the reference for Dicta.set_serializer().

Parameter

• path (string)
• reset (bool) (optional / default = True)

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Dicta.clear_file()

Dicta.clear_file(path=None)

Clear a file.

Dicta.clear_file() >> Clears the binded sync file.
Dicta.clear_file('my/path.json') >> Clears the file at a given path.

Parameter

• path (string) (optional / default = None)

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Dicta.remove_file()

Dicta.remove_file(path=None)

Remove a data file.

Dicta.remove_file() >> Removes the binded sync file.
Dicta.remove_file('my/path.json') >> Removes the file at a given path.

Parameter

• path (string) (optional / default = None)

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Dicta.dictify()

Dicta.dictify()

Returns a plain dict representation of the data without Dicta functionality.

Parameter

• None

Return

• dict

---

Dicta.stringify()

Dicta.stringify(returnBinaries=False)

Returns a string representation of the data in Dicta.

This will fail if your dict contains non-serializable objects and binary serialization is not activated. For security reasons this is deactivated by default. You can activate binary serialization by calling Dicta.set_serializer(True) before.

If you activate the binary-serializer all non-serializable objects will be encoded to a binary string and packed into a dict labeled with the key '<serialized-object>'. See the reference for Dicta.set_serializer().

For better readability serialized objects won´t be returned by default and are replaced by a the '<serialized-object>' hook. If you want to return the binaries set the return_binariesparameter to True.

Parameter

• return_binaries (bool) (default = False)

Return

• string

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Dicta.set_serializer()

Dicta.set_serializer(binary_serializer=False, serializer_hook='<serialized-object>')

For security reasons binary serialization of non-serializable objects is deactivated by default. You can activate or deactivate binary serialization with this method (default=False).

If you activate the binary-serializer all non-serializable objects will be encoded to a binary string and packed into a dict labeled with the key '<serialized-object>'. In case you need this key for your data structure, define a custom serializer-hook by using the serializer_hook parameter (optional). If you don´t use the serializer_hook parameter the default hook '<serialized-object>' will be used.

Parameter

• binary_serializer (bool) (default = False)
• serializer_hook (string) (optional / default = '<serialized-object>')

Example

myDicta.set_serializer(True)
myDicta.set_serializer(True, '<my_serialzer_hook>')

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Data Type Methods

Behaves like a regular nested dict and supports all data type methods. Adding, removing, modifiying and accessing of nested elements should work out of the box. For example:

---

NestedDict.update()

NestedDict.update(*args, *kwargs)

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NestedDict.clear()

NestedDict.clear()

---

NestedDict.pop()

NestedDict.pop(key)

---

NestedDict.popitem()

NestedDict.popitem(key)

---

NestedDict.setdefault()

NestedDict.setdefault(key, default=None)

and so forth: keys(), iter() …

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NestedList.append()

NestedList.append(item)

and so forth: pop()…

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Deprecated Methods

Dicta.import_data(*args,**kwargs)

Dicta.import_data(dict)
Dicta.import_data(key=value,key2=value2…)

Import data as dict or key/value pairs. Same as Dica.update(*args,**kwargs)

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Dicta.sync_file()

Dicta.sync_file()

Pulls data from the binded sync file into your Dicta instance.

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Dicta.import_file()

Dicta.import_file(path)

Import data from a file. New data will be added to the DictObsercer, old data remains but will be overwritten if dict keys match.

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Dicta.export_file()

Dicta.export_file(path, reset=True)

Export data to a file. If reset=True the data wil be cleared when export_file() (default) is called . If reset=False the data will be updated.

This will fail if your dict contains non-serializable objects and binary serialization is not activated. For security reasons this is deactivated by default. You can activate binary serialization by calling Dicta.set_serializer(True) before.

If you activate the binary-serializer all non-serializable objects will be encoded to a binary string and packed into a dict labeled with the key '<serialized-object>'. See the reference for Dicta.set_serializer().

Parameter

• path (string)
• reset (bool) (optional / default = True)

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Dependencies

• os
• re
• json
• pickle
• inspect