How to decode POST data from github in web.py?
Question: (This question is related - but not the same - to
[this](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8740353/how-to-convert-a-string-
data-to-a-json-object-in-python) one)

This is the POST data that I get from a github hook:

    
    
    payload=%7B%22pusher%22%3A%7B%22name%22%3A%22none%22%7D%2C%22repository%22%3A%7B%22name%22%3A%22test%22%2C%22size%22%3A84%2C%22has_wiki%22%3Atrue%2C%22created_at%22%3A%222012%2F01%2F12%2001%3A04%3A25%20-0800%22%2C%22watchers%22%3A1%2C%22private%22%3Afalse%2C%22fork%22%3Afalse%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fgonvaled%2Ftest%22%2C%22pushed_at%22%3A%222012%2F01%2F12%2001%3A05%3A26%20-0800%22%2C%22has_downloads%22%3Atrue%2C%22open_issues%22%3A0%2C%22has_issues%22%3Atrue%2C%22homepage%22%3A%22%22%2C%22description%22%3A%22%22%2C%22forks%22%3A1%2C%22owner%22%3A%7B%22name%22%3A%22gonvaled%22%2C%22email%22%3A%22gonvaled%40gonvaled.com%22%7D%7D%2C%22forced%22%3Afalse%2C%22after%22%3A%2214209371dcbdd95cc3ef5c4a07d80edd42f1295c%22%2C%22deleted%22%3Afalse%2C%22ref%22%3A%22refs%2Fheads%2Fmaster%22%2C%22commits%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22before%22%3A%2214209371dcbdd95cc3ef5c4a07d80edd42f1295c%22%2C%22compare%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fgonvaled%2Ftest%2Fcompare%2F1420937...1420937%22%2C%22created%22%3Afalse%7D
    

Which I can decode using this:

    
    
    urllib.unquote(data)
    

Getting this:

    
    
    payload={"pusher":{"name":"none"},"repository":{"name":"test","size":84,"has_wiki":true,"created_at":"2012/01/12 01:04:25 -0800","watchers":1,"private":false,"fork":false,"url":"https://github.com/gonvaled/test","pushed_at":"2012/01/12 01:05:26 -0800","has_downloads":true,"open_issues":0,"has_issues":true,"homepage":"","description":"","forks":1,"owner":{"name":"gonvaled","email":"gonvaled@gonvaled.com"}},"forced":false,"after":"14209371dcbdd95cc3ef5c4a07d80edd42f1295c","deleted":false,"ref":"refs/heads/master","commits":[],"before":"14209371dcbdd95cc3ef5c4a07d80edd42f1295c","compare":"https://github.com/gonvaled/test/compare/1420937...1420937","created":false}
    

I can see the JSON there, after the `payload=` bit. The question I have is:
what format is the full data? How can I get just the payload bit, using
standard python libraries; I would prefer to avoid splitting the string
myself, since I do not know the special cases.

The [github help page](http://help.github.com/post-receive-hooks/) gives this
suggested implementation for a Sinatra server:

    
    
    post '/' do
      push = JSON.parse(params[:payload])
      "I got some JSON: #{push.inspect}"
    end
    

How can this `params` array be handled in python, with standard libraries?
What is the most pythonic implementation of that Ruby code? My end goal is to
have the full POST data accessible as a python dictionary.


Answer: Try this:

    
    
    import json
    import urlparse
    data = urlparse.parse_qs(r)
    print json.loads(r['payload'][0])
    

where `r` is the string you received as response.

See <http://docs.python.org/library/urlparse.html#urlparse.parse_qs>

