Encoding nested python object in JSON

Question

I want to encode objects in JSON. But, I can not figure out how to make the output without the string escaping.

import json  class Abc:     def __init__(self):         self.name="abc name"     def toJSON(self):         return json.dumps(self.__dict__, cls=ComplexEncoder)  class Doc:     def __init__(self):         self.abc=Abc()     def toJSON(self):         return json.dumps(self.__dict__, cls=ComplexEncoder)  class ComplexEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):     def default(self, obj):         if isinstance(obj, Abc) or isinstance(obj, Doc):             return obj.toJSON()         else:             return json.JSONEncoder.default(self, obj)  doc=Doc() print doc.toJSON() 

The result is (the dumps returns a string representation, that's why the " are escaped)

{"abc": "{\"name\": \"abc name\"}"} 

I want something a little bit different. The expected result is

{"abc": {"name": "abc name"}"} 

But I don't see how to... Any hint ?

thanks in advance.

Answer 1

my previous sample, with another nested object and your advices :

import json  class Identity:     def __init__(self):         self.name="abc name"         self.first="abc first"         self.addr=Addr()     def reprJSON(self):         return dict(name=self.name, firstname=self.first, address=self.addr)   class Addr:     def __init__(self):         self.street="sesame street"         self.zip="13000"     def reprJSON(self):         return dict(street=self.street, zip=self.zip)   class Doc:     def __init__(self):         self.identity=Identity()         self.data="all data"     def reprJSON(self):         return dict(id=self.identity, data=self.data)   class ComplexEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):     def default(self, obj):         if hasattr(obj,'reprJSON'):             return obj.reprJSON()         else:             return json.JSONEncoder.default(self, obj)  doc=Doc() print "Str representation" print doc.reprJSON() print "Full JSON" print json.dumps(doc.reprJSON(), cls=ComplexEncoder) print "Partial JSON" print json.dumps(doc.identity.addr.reprJSON(), cls=ComplexEncoder) 

produces the expected result :

Str representation {'data': 'all data', 'id': <__main__.Identity instance at 0x1005317e8>} Full JSON {"data": "all data", "id": {"name": "abc name", "firstname": "abc first", "address": {"street": "sesame street", "zip": "13000"}}} Partial JSON {"street": "sesame street", "zip": "13000"} 

Thanks.