json.loads allows duplicate keys in a dictionary, overwriting the first value
The rfc 4627 for application/json
media type recommends unique keys but it doesn't forbid them explicitly:
The names within an object SHOULD be unique.
From rfc 2119:
SHOULD This word, or the adjective "RECOMMENDED", mean that there
may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances to ignore a
particular item, but the full implications must be understood and
carefully weighed before choosing a different course.
import json
def dict_raise_on_duplicates(ordered_pairs):
"""Reject duplicate keys."""
d = {}
for k, v in ordered_pairs:
if k in d:
raise ValueError("duplicate key: %r" % (k,))
else:
d[k] = v
return d
json.loads(raw_post_data, object_pairs_hook=dict_raise_on_duplicates)
# -> ValueError: duplicate key: u'1'
One alternative I wrote based on the solution posted by other users of this question is to convert those duplicates into an array:
def array_on_duplicate_keys(ordered_pairs):
"""Convert duplicate keys to arrays."""
d = {}
for k, v in ordered_pairs:
if k in d:
if type(d[k]) is list:
d[k].append(v)
else:
d[k] = [d[k],v]
else:
d[k] = v
return d
And then:
dict = json.loads('{"x": 1, "x": 2}', object_pairs_hook=array_on_duplicate_keys)
gives you the output:
{'x': [1, 2]}
Later one, one can check easily how meany duplicates an entry has by using:
if type(dict['x']) is list:
print('Non-unique entry in dict at x, found', len(dict['x']),'repetitions.')