Best way to retrieve variable values from a text file - Python - Json
Question: Referring on [this
question](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/868112/loading-files-into-
variables-in-python), I have a similar -but not the same- problem..

On my way, I'll have some text file, structured like:

    
    
    var_a: 'home'
    var_b: 'car'
    var_c: 15.5
    

And I need that python read the file and then create a variable named var_a
with value 'home', and so on.

Example:

    
    
    #python stuff over here
    getVarFromFile(filename) #this is the function that im looking for
    print var_b
    #output: car, as string
    print var_c
    #output 15.5, as number.
    

Is this possible, I mean, even keep the var type?

Notice that I have the full freedom to the text file structure, I can use the
format I like if the one I proposed isn't the best.

**EDIT** : the ConfigParser can be a solution, but I don't like it so much,
because in my script I'll have then to refer to the variables in the file with

    
    
    config.get("set", "var_name")
    

But what I'll love is to refer to the variable directly, as I declared it in
the python script...

There is a way to import the file as a python dictionary?

Oh, last thing, keep in mind that I don't know exactly how many variables
would I have in the text file.

**Edit 2** : I'm very interested at stephan's JSON solution, because in that
way the text file could be read simply with others languages (PHP, then via
AJAX JavaScript, for example), but I fail in something while acting that
solution:

    
    
    #for the example, i dont load the file but create a var with the supposed file content
    file_content = "'var_a': 4, 'var_b': 'a string'"
    mydict = dict(file_content)
    #Error: ValueError: dictionary update sequence element #0 has length 1; 2 is required
    file_content_2 = "{'var_a': 4, 'var_b': 'a string'}"
    mydict_2 = dict(json.dump(file_content_2, True))
    #Error:
    #Traceback (most recent call last):
    #File "<pyshell#5>", line 1, in <module>
    #mydict_2 = dict(json.dump(file_content_2, True))
    #File "C:\Python26\lib\json\__init__.py", line 181, in dump
    #fp.write(chunk)
    #AttributeError: 'bool' object has no attribute 'write'
    

In what kind of issues can I fall with the JSON format? And, how can I read a
JSON array in a text file, and transform it in a python dict?

P.S: I don't like the solution using .py files; I'll prefer .txt, .inc,
.whatever is not restrictive to one language.


Answer: > But what i'll love is to refer to the variable direclty, as i declared it in
> the python script..

Assuming you're happy to change your syntax slightly, just use python and
import the "config" module.

    
    
    # myconfig.py:
    
    var_a = 'home'
    var_b = 'car'
    var_c = 15.5
    

Then do

    
    
    from myconfig import *
    

And you can reference them by name in your current context.

