Setting variable values from dictionary

[Robert Brewer]

Sean Berry wrote:
> If I have a dictionary like the following:
> 
> {'category' : 2, 'shape', 4}
> 
> How can I use this to make
> category = 2 and 
> shape = 4.
> 
> I want to be able to do this regardless of the dict values type.  So:
> 
> {'cateogry' : 2, 'shape' : 'circle'}
> 
> will work as well.

Others will probably show you how to do this, but in most cases, I've
been better off making attributes of a new object instead of
module-level globals.

>>> attrs = {'category' : 2, 'shape' : 'circle'}
>>> class Namespace(object): pass
... 
>>> ns = Namespace()
>>> ns.__dict__.update(attrs)
>>> ns.shape
'circle'

...that way, you "cordon off" all of your shiny new dynamic 'variables'
into their own namespace.


Robert Brewer
MIS
Amor Ministries
fumanchu at amor.org