json.loads and dumps

Learn string JSON with json.loads and dumps.

Working with strings: loads and dumps

Sometimes the data isn't in a file but in a string; for example it arrives from a network request. In that case json.loads(s) turns the string into a Python object; the trailing s stands for string.

In the other direction json.dumps(data) turns a Python object into a string. It doesn't touch files; it works with strings only. dump and load are for files; dumps and loads are for strings.

Exercise Convert strings with loads and dumps

Start with import json. Define a string with text = '{"name": "Ayşe", "age": 30}'. Turn the string into a dict with person = json.loads(text). Print the name with print(person["name"]). Then turn the dict back into a string with again = json.dumps(person, ensure_ascii=False) and print it with print(again).

Show example solution

import json

# Assign a structured-data string to text
text = '{"name": "Ayşe", "age": 30}'
# Convert to a dict with loads, print the name
person = json.loads(text)
print(person["name"])
# Convert back to a string with dumps, print
again = json.dumps(person, ensure_ascii=False)
print(again)

load or loads?

Remember the difference easily: load for files, loads for strings. The same rule holds for dump and dumps: write to a file with dump, turn into a string with dumps.

The naming is consistent: the trailing s marks string. So when you see the method name you immediately know whether it uses a file or a string. This reduces confusion and makes code readable.

Test yourself

What type does json.loads accept?
- A number
- A string
- A list
- A file object
Show answer

A string — The s in loads stands for string.

Complete the json.dumps call

import json
data = {"name": "Ayşe"}
text = json.____(data, ensure_ascii=False)

Show answer

import json
data = {"name": "Ayşe"}
text = json.dumps(data, ensure_ascii=False)

Match the four methods

json.load

Reads from a file
json.dump

Writes to a file
json.loads

Reads from a string
json.dumps

Writes to a string

Next lesson: Summary - CSV and JSON

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