title: parsing a dictionary from file in python using argparse?
body: <p>I have been using a file containing variables as input for a program, which is then imported into the main program at runtime.  I am moving this system to using argparse reading the input values from a file. One of the current input variables is a list of dictionaries, with each dictionary providing settings for a given calculation. </p>
  
  <pre><code>CalculationVals=[{'startx':0,'starty':0,'endx':10, 'endy':10}, {'startx':1,'starty':1,'endx':12, 'endy':12}]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>and then in the main part of the program, the individual CalculationVals are looped over.  Is there a way to read this using argparse, or a better way to provide this input using an argparse method?  Not relying on additional packages is advantageous here.</p>