String to Hash of Hashes/Arrays

Question

I have this string which I need to convert to to a Hash :

str = '{:gender=>{:content=>"male"}, :names=>[{:first=>"Atair", :last=>"Goron"}], :addresses=>[{:country=>"GB", :state=>"ENG", :city=>"London"}], :emails=>[{:address=>"agoron@keolis.com", :address_md5=>"971b2fd0b83c900a5ca62c91dab80dd9"}, {:address=>"atair.godon.75@facebook.com", :address_md5=>"a0d958c1396300a344356d57b6836f9e"}], :jobs=>[{:title=>"Chief Executive Officer", :organization=>"Kolis UK and Eire"}, {:title=>"Deputy Managing Director", :organization=>"Kolis UK", :date_range=>{:start=>"2008-04-01", :end=>"2010-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Project Director", :organization=>"Keolis UK", :date_range=>{:start=>"2004-04-01", :end=>"2008-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Strategic Planning Director", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"2002-04-01", :end=>"2004-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Commercial Director, Business Markets", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"1999-11-01", :end=>"2002-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Brand Manager", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"1998-06-01", :end=>"1999-11-01"}}, {:title=>"Business Forecasting Manager", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"1997-08-01", :end=>"1998-06-01"}}, {:title=>"Principal Consultant", :organization=>"Steer Davies Gleave", :date_range=>{:start=>"1995-04-01", :end=>"1997-08-01"}}, {:title=>"Transport Consultant", :organization=>"Sir Alexander Gibb and Part", :date_range=>{:start=>"1990-01-01", :end=>"1995-12-31"}}], :educations=>[{:school=>"U. of London"}, {:school=>"University College London, U. of London", :date_range=>{:start=>"1987-01-01", :end=>"1990-12-31"}}], :usernames=>[{:content=>"alistair.gordon.75"}], :user_ids=>[{:content=>"5/238/746@linkedin"}, {:content=>"538818605@facebook"}, {:content=>"15504678@linkedin"}]}'

I have floating number of keys, each key value can be either a string, array, hash or hash of hashes

Is there way to convert it?

Yes, use JSON module - http://ruby-doc.org/stdlib-2.0.0/libdoc/json/rdoc/JSON.html — Wand Maker, Jan 06 '16 at 13:06
I am not sure I understood - for which part JSON does not work in the above string. — Wand Maker, Jan 06 '16 at 13:11
JSON::ParserError: 795: unexpected token Only strings are allowed, not arrays — Mikhail Chuprynski, Jan 06 '16 at 13:12
String shared by you is a valid Ruby Hash literal. What is the problem you are facing?. You can "eval" that string - and see whether it works. — Wand Maker, Jan 06 '16 at 13:13
Yes, it is Hash, not JSON. It is not possible to parse it with JSON module — Mikhail Chuprynski, Jan 06 '16 at 13:14
If this comes from third-party system's API, than please tell them to use JSON instead. — cthulhu, Jan 06 '16 at 13:45

score 11 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 06 '16 at 14:01

11

You could try to convert the format to JSON by replacing :key=> with "key"::

str.gsub!(/:(\w+)=>/, '"\1":')
#=> "{\"gender\":{\"content\":\"male\"}, \"names\":[{\"first\":\"Atair\", ...

And parse it as usual:

require 'json'
JSON.parse(str, symbolize_names: true)
#=> {:gender=>{:content=>"male"}, :names=>[{:first=>"Atair", ...

answered Jan 06 '16 at 14:01

Stefan

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hey I didn't think of this. You rocks man. \m/ This should be the accepted as answered. ;) 1+ – Gagan Gami Jan 06 '16 at 14:03

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:15

This is dirty way eval : eval Evaluates the Ruby expression(s) in string.

 > s = '{:gender=>{:content=>"male"}, :names=>[{:first=>"Atair", :last=>"Goron"}], :addresses=>[{:country=>"GB", :state=>"ENG", :city=>"London"}], :emails=>[{:address=>"agoron@keolis.com", :address_md5=>"971b2fd0b83c900a5ca62c91dab80dd9"}, {:address=>"atair.godon.75@facebook.com", :address_md5=>"a0d958c1396300a344356d57b6836f9e"}], :jobs=>[{:title=>"Chief Executive Officer", :organization=>"Kolis UK and Eire"}, {:title=>"Deputy Managing Director", :organization=>"Kolis UK", :date_range=>{:start=>"2008-04-01", :end=>"2010-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Project Director", :organization=>"Keolis UK", :date_range=>{:start=>"2004-04-01", :end=>"2008-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Strategic Planning Director", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"2002-04-01", :end=>"2004-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Commercial Director, Business Markets", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"1999-11-01", :end=>"2002-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Brand Manager", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"1998-06-01", :end=>"1999-11-01"}}, {:title=>"Business Forecasting Manager", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"1997-08-01", :end=>"1998-06-01"}}, {:title=>"Principal Consultant", :organization=>"Steer Davies Gleave", :date_range=>{:start=>"1995-04-01", :end=>"1997-08-01"}}, {:title=>"Transport Consultant", :organization=>"Sir Alexander Gibb and Part", :date_range=>{:start=>"1990-01-01", :end=>"1995-12-31"}}], :educations=>[{:school=>"U. of London"}, {:school=>"University College London, U. of London", :date_range=>{:start=>"1987-01-01", :end=>"1990-12-31"}}], :usernames=>[{:content=>"alistair.gordon.75"}], :user_ids=>[{:content=>"5/238/746@linkedin"}, {:content=>"538818605@facebook"}, {:content=>"15504678@linkedin"}]}'
 > eval(s)
 #=> {:gender=>{:content=>"male"}, :names=>[{:first=>"Atair", :last=>"Goron"}], :addresses=>[{:country=>"GB", :state=>"ENG", :city=>"London"}], :emails=>[{:address=>"agoron@keolis.com", :address_md5=>"971b2fd0b83c900a5ca62c91dab80dd9"}, {:address=>"atair.godon.75@facebook.com", :address_md5=>"a0d958c1396300a344356d57b6836f9e"}], :jobs=>[{:title=>"Chief Executive Officer", :organization=>"Kolis UK and Eire"}, {:title=>"Deputy Managing Director", :organization=>"Kolis UK", :date_range=>{:start=>"2008-04-01", :end=>"2010-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Project Director", :organization=>"Keolis UK", :date_range=>{:start=>"2004-04-01", :end=>"2008-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Strategic Planning Director", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"2002-04-01", :end=>"2004-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Commercial Director, Business Markets", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"1999-11-01", :end=>"2002-04-01"}}, {:title=>"Brand Manager", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"1998-06-01", :end=>"1999-11-01"}}, {:title=>"Business Forecasting Manager", :organization=>"Eurostar", :date_range=>{:start=>"1997-08-01", :end=>"1998-06-01"}}, {:title=>"Principal Consultant", :organization=>"Steer Davies Gleave", :date_range=>{:start=>"1995-04-01", :end=>"1997-08-01"}}, {:title=>"Transport Consultant", :organization=>"Sir Alexander Gibb and Part", :date_range=>{:start=>"1990-01-01", :end=>"1995-12-31"}}], :educations=>[{:school=>"U. of London"}, {:school=>"University College London, U. of London", :date_range=>{:start=>"1987-01-01", :end=>"1990-12-31"}}], :usernames=>[{:content=>"alistair.gordon.75"}], :user_ids=>[{:content=>"5/238/746@linkedin"}, {:content=>"538818605@facebook"}, {:content=>"15504678@linkedin"}]}

DEMO

Note: as Drenmi commented I also agree with There are some security implications with using eval if possible avoid use of eval . I suggest if possible retrieved response in json instead of string. It executes whatever it is passed, you must be 110% sure (as in, at least no user input anywhere along the way) it would contain only properly formed hashes or unexpected bugs/horrible creatures from outer space might start popping up.

Nope. It is correct. But it will be downvoted. Wait for a moment. — sawa, Jan 06 '16 at 13:24
I hope whoever downvote he can give proper genuine reason of it. But I want to ask you why you feel so. what is missing? So I can update my answer as per required. — Gagan Gami, Jan 06 '16 at 13:25
No downvotes yet. :-) There are [some security implications](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/637421/is-eval-supposed-to-be-nasty) with using `eval`, which has caused some to reject it outright. The "eval is bad" mantra has since become somewhat of a truism. — Drenmi, Jan 06 '16 at 13:53
`eval`-ing strings from a third-party system is quite risky. — Stefan, Jan 06 '16 at 13:55
@Stefan & Drenmi : Yes I agree eval is not suitable in-case if syntax is not proper it may throw error. But I just suggested by assuming response would be proper all time — Gagan Gami, Jan 06 '16 at 13:57
The OP stated that the string is coming from a third-party system he has no control over. Using `eval` in this case is not just "some security implication", it's just plain stupid. If you have no control over the system, then you have no way of knowing whether tomorrow they will send the string `require 'fileutils'; FileUtils.rm_rf('/')` instead. (Or something much much **much** worse.) — Jörg W Mittag, Jan 06 '16 at 18:50

String to Hash of Hashes/Arrays

2 Answers2

DEMO