How to convert unicode objects to normal objects in Python
Question: I currently have a deep object, and it is all unicode (sadly).

I am to a point where a variable is either going to be a dict, or a bool. In
this case, I do

`if type( my_variable ) is BooleanType:`

But this is not triggered because the type is actually Unicode for all values.

How do I convert this unicode object to a normal object so I can correctly
read the type, without destroying the data?

Thanks!

Here is the result of print(repr(variable)). It shows the Bools as not being
unicode (unlike what I first though) but still giving me troubles.

    
    
    {u'forms': {u'financing': {u'view': True, u'delete': True}, u'employment': {u'view': True, u'delete': True}, u'service': {u'view': True, u'delete': True}}, u'content': {u'articles': {u'edit': True, u'add': True, u'view': True, u'delete': True}, u'slideshow': {u'edit': True, u'view': True}, u'pages': {u'edit': True, u'add': True, u'view': True, u'delete': True}}, u'people': {u'edit': True, u'sort-staff': True, u'sort-riders': True, u'add': True, u'delete': True, u'view': True}, u'events': {u'edit': True, u'add': True, u'view': True, u'delete': True}, u'settings': {u'edit': True, u'view': True}}
    


Answer: ### Do not use `type` unless you are _really really sure_ that you want to.

In this case, you don't -- especially checking for `bool`, given Python's
flexibility for what can be considered as boolean! For instance, what if you
are given `None`? How about an empty string? How about `[]`?

The solution to this problem is the use of Abstract Base Classes (ABCs), which
allow you to specify exactly what an object should be able to do, instead of
what `type` it is. The `collections` module comes with a bunch of these:

    
    
    import collections
    if isinstance( ..., collections.MutableMapping ):
        ...
    

This permits anything 'dictionary-like', so that you retain polymorphism. If
you need more careful specification ("I want `__getitem__` and `__delitem__`
but not necessarily `__setitem__`!"), you can write your own -- see the
definition of the ABCs in the source of the collections module for starters.

Are you sure that you want this functionality? If you do it correctly (with
ABCs), it's not an inherently bad idea, but that's not to say you should abuse
it!

* * *

Edit: I'm not sure that you understand what Unicode is or how Python handles
it. This is one of the major differences between Python 2.x and Python 3.x,
which are you using?

Re-edit: Ah, ok, you are using Python 2.x and you have a dictionary with
Unicode string keys. I'm not sure what you were doing that caused a problem,
since Unicode strings work basically just like ordinary strings. The
`MutableMapping` check above will work fine.

