Question

>>> raw_post_data = request.raw_post_data
>>> print raw_post_data
{"group":{"groupId":"2", "groupName":"GroupName"}, "members":{"1":{"firstName":"fName","lastName":"LName","address":"address"},"1": {"firstName":"f_Name","lastName":"L_Name","address":"_address"}}}
>>> create_request = json.loads(raw_post_data)
>>> print create_request
{u'group': {u'groupName': u'GroupName', u'groupId': u'2'}, u'members': {u'1': {u'lastName': u'L_Name', u'firstName': u'f_Name', u'address': u'_address'}}}

As you can see members with key ‘1’ is overwritten when I use json.dumps()

Is there any way to catch it as exception in python, saying found duplicate keys in request from client ?

Answer 1

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'