Python | Convert string dictionary to dictionary

Interconversions of data types have been discussed many times and have been quite a popular problem to solve. This article discusses yet another problem of interconversion of the dictionary, in string format to a dictionary. Let’s discuss certain ways in which this can be done.

Method #1 : Using json.loads()

This task can easily be performed using the inbuilt function of loads of json library of python which converts the string of valid dictionary into json form, dictionary in Python. 

Python3

# Python3 code to demonstrate
# convert dictionary string to dictionary
# using json.loads()
import json

# initializing string
test_string = '{"Nikhil" : 1, "Akshat" : 2, "Akash" : 3}'

# printing original string
print("The original string : " + str(test_string))

# using json.loads()
# convert dictionary string to dictionary
res = json.loads(test_string)

# print result
print("The converted dictionary : " + str(res))

Output : 

The original string : {"Nikhil" : 1, "Akshat" : 2, "Akash" : 3}
The converted dictionary : {'Nikhil': 1, 'Akshat': 2, 'Akash': 3}

Method #2: Using ast.literal_eval()

The above method can also be used to perform a similar conversion. Function safer than the eval function and can be used for interconversion of all data types other than dictionary as well. 

Python3

# Python3 code to demonstrate
# convert dictionary string to dictionary
# using ast.literal_eval()
import ast

# initializing string
test_string = '{"Nikhil" : 1, "Akshat" : 2, "Akash" : 3}'

# printing original string
print("The original string : " + str(test_string))

# using ast.literal_eval()
# convert dictionary string to dictionary
res = ast.literal_eval(test_string)

# print result
print("The converted dictionary : " + str(res))

Output : 

The original string : {"Nikhil" : 1, "Akshat" : 2, "Akash" : 3}
The converted dictionary : {'Nikhil': 1, 'Akshat': 2, 'Akash': 3}

Method #3: Using eval() The above method can also be used to perform a similar conversion. The eval() function parse the argument passed and converts it to a python  expression and runs the python expression.

Python

# Python3 code to demonstrate
# convert dictionary string to dictionary
# using eval()

# initializing string
test_string = '{"Nikhil" : 1, "Akshat" : 2, "Akash" : 3}'

# printing original string
print("The original string : " + str(test_string))

# using eval()
# convert dictionary string to dictionary
res = eval(test_string)

# print result
print("The converted dictionary : " + str(res))

Output:

The original string : {"Nikhil" : 1, "Akshat" : 2, "Akash" : 3}
The converted dictionary : {'Nikhil': 1, 'Akshat': 2, 'Akash': 3}