Python - Convert Dictionary Object into String

In Python, there are situations where we need to convert a dictionary into a string format. For example, given the dictionary {'a' : 1, 'b' : 2} the objective is to convert it into a string like "{'a' : 1, 'b' : 2}".
Let's discuss different methods to achieve this:

Using str

The simplest way to convert a dictionary to a string is by using the built-in function "str()" for string conversion.

a = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}

b = str(a)

print(b, type(b))

{'a': 1, 'b': 2} <class 'str'>

Explanation: str() function converts the dictionary into its string representation.

Using json.dumps

Another method is to use the dumps function from the json module for converting a dictionary into a JSON-formatted string.

import json

a = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}

b = json.dumps(a)

print(b)

{"a": 1, "b": 2}

Explanation:

• json.dumps converts the dictionary to a string following JSON format, useful when working with APIs or web applications.
• It adds double quotes around keys and values if they are string values for JSON formatting.

Using repr

This method uses repr() function and converts the dictionary into a string representation that can be evaluated back into a dictionary.

a = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}

b = repr(a)

print(b)

{'a': 1, 'b': 2}

Explanation:

• repr() function produces a detailed string representation of the dictionary similar to str.
• Useful when we need the output as a valid Python expression.

Using String Concatenation

This method manually constructs the string representation of the dictionary by concatenating its key-value pairs.

a = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}

b = "{" + ", ".join(f"'{k}': {v}" for k, v in a.items()) + "}"

print(b)

{'a': 1, 'b': 2}

Explanation:

• join() function Joins key-value pairs as strings to create a custom output format.
• This method offers flexibility in creating custom formats but is less efficient than built-in functions.