Python Deep Serializer
======================
Package provides for
* Serializing nested Python objects. That is creating a nested dictionary from a nested Python object.
* Deserializing nested Python objects, that is initializing nested Python objects with a nested dictionary.
One use case is when you have a web api and users post nested json which you use to initialize (nested) Python objects.
**Example**
```python
from pprint import pprint
import datetime
import typing
from deep_serializer import des
from deep_serializer.ser import ToDictEnabled
class Person(ToDictEnabled):
@des.cast # casting input
def __init__(self, name: str, age: int):
self.name = name
self.age = age
class Car(ToDictEnabled):
@des.cast # casting input
def __init__(self, model: str, owner: Person, color: str, registration_date: datetime.datetime,
passengers: typing.List[Person] = (), miles: typing.Dict[datetime.datetime, float] = None):
self.miles = miles
self.model = model
self.owner = owner
self.color = color
self.registration_date = registration_date
self.passengers = passengers
self.__private_variable = 'secret' # private attribute not serialized by todict
@property
def color_and_owner(self) -> str: # property not serialized by todict
return '%s-%s' % (self.color, self.owner.name)
if __name__ == '__main__':
car_dict = {
'color': 'blue',
'model': 'Volvo',
'owner': {'age': '22', 'name': 'Bob'},
'passengers': [{'age': 20, 'name': 'Alice'}, {'age': 19, 'name': 'Joe'}],
'registration_date': '2015-01-01 12:00.00',
'miles': {'2015-01-01 12:00.00': 0, '2016-01-01 12:00.00': '1000'}
}
print('\n\nInput')
pprint(car_dict)
car = Car(**car_dict)
print('\n\nCar object:\n%s' % car)
print('\n\nCar as dict')
pprint(car.todict(), indent=4)
```
**Note that**
* The `ToDictEnabled` adds the `todict` method which enables deep serialization.
* The `@des.init` property tries to cast input variables according to their type hints before actual init is run.
* The `@color_and_owner` property is not serialized.
* The `__private_variable` attribute is not serialized.
Running main yields
```
Input
{'color': 'blue',
'miles': {'2015-01-01 12:00.00': 0, '2016-01-01 12:00.00': '1000'},
'model': 'Volvo',
'owner': {'age': '22', 'name': 'Bob'},
'passengers': [{'age': 20, 'name': 'Alice'}, {'age': 19, 'name': 'Joe'}],
'registration_date': '2015-01-01 12:00.00'}
Car object:
<__main__.Car object at 0x7f4972796cf8>
Car as dict
{ 'color': 'blue',
'miles': { datetime.datetime(2015, 1, 1, 12, 0): 0.0,
datetime.datetime(2016, 1, 1, 12, 0): 1000.0},
'model': 'Volvo',
'owner': {'age': 22, 'name': 'Bob'},
'passengers': [{'age': 20, 'name': 'Alice'}, {'age': 19, 'name': 'Joe'}],
'registration_date': datetime.datetime(2015, 1, 1, 12, 0)}
```
**Caveats**
- Code is virtually untested, except on a few minor private projects.
- Casting is far from complete. For example, the `typing.Tuple[]` type hinting does not work, and those input variables will not be casted.
- Only works with Python3, only tested with Python3.6 and Python3.7.
- `todict` method will not serialize attributes starting with `__` and not serialize properties.
