python extract value from config file

Question

I know, there's the famous python config parser, but I think for this kind of config format, the parser will not be the best choice.

"AppState"
{
    "appid"     "740"
    "Universe"      "1"
    "name"      "Counter-Strike Global Offensive - Dedicated Server"
    "StateFlags"        "4"
    "installdir"        "Counter-Strike Global Offensive Beta - Dedicated Server"
    "LastUpdated"       "1492880350"
    "UpdateResult"      "0"
    "SizeOnDisk"        "14563398502"
    "buildid"       "1771538"
    "LastOwner"     "76561202168992874"
    "BytesToDownload"       "6669177712"
    "BytesDownloaded"       "6669177712"
    "AutoUpdateBehavior"        "0"
    "AllowOtherDownloadsWhileRunning"       "0"
    "UserConfig"
    {
    }
    "MountedDepots"
    {
        "731"       "3148506631334968252"
        "740"       "8897003951704178635"
    }
}

For example how to extract the value of "buildid" in the best way? Since I need to work many times with config files, I'm just searching for the easiest way for this kind of format.

How do you get this config file? It might be easier and more robust to fix the problem upstream. Why not use legal JSON, which is parsed easily with the right module? — timgeb, May 07 '17 at 17:50

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered May 07 '17 at 17:54

0

If you can read it as a regular file use:

import re
with open('myfile.extension') as data:
    for line in data:
        if 'buildid' in line:
            print re.findall('\d+', line)
            break

answered May 07 '17 at 17:54

zipa

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score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 07 '17 at 17:59

Python 2 Solution:

with open("config.txt","r") as fp:
    line_list = [c.strip() for c in fp.readlines()]
    for line in line_list:
        if "buildid" in line:
            buildid = line.split()[1]
            print int(buildid[1:-1])
            break

Output:

config.txt contains:

"AppState"
{
    "appid"     "740"
    "Universe"      "1"
    "name"      "Counter-Strike Global Offensive - Dedicated Server"
    "StateFlags"        "4"
    "installdir"        "Counter-Strike Global Offensive Beta - Dedicated Server"
    "LastUpdated"       "1492880350"
    "UpdateResult"      "0"
    "SizeOnDisk"        "14563398502"
    "buildid"       "1771538"
    "LastOwner"     "76561202168992874"
    "BytesToDownload"       "6669177712"
    "BytesDownloaded"       "6669177712"
    "AutoUpdateBehavior"        "0"
    "AllowOtherDownloadsWhileRunning"       "0"
    "UserConfig"
    {
    }
    "MountedDepots"
    {
        "731"       "3148506631334968252"
        "740"       "8897003951704178635"
    }
}

N.B.: If possible use proper JSON for configuration file. It is fail safe to use JSON.

Yeah I love JSON but sadly this config is not generated by myself :(. — kreishna, May 07 '17 at 18:07
Sorry to hear that. Is the above code working fine in that case? — arshovon, May 07 '17 at 18:19

python extract value from config file

2 Answers2