A question about StackOverflow code

[Jacklittle01]

I saw this code on stack overflow

def writeProfile(profileName, profileData):
    """ pickle user profile data """

    os.chdir(PROFILE_DIR)

    fileName = profileName + ".dat"
    f = open(fileName, "wb")
    pickle.dump(profileData, f)
    f.close()

    os.chdir("..")

It is for saving progress under the pickle module. I don't see a way to save variables. How would I do that?

[BearofNH]

Well, pickle.dump() should have no problem saving a variable, as in pickle.dump(variable,f). Now if pickle doesn't like that it will raise an exception, but I suspect if you just try it will work fine...based on pickle.dumps() working on a test case I just tried.

You will probably find your real problem comes later, when tryng to unpickle. But that's later...

[Lardmeister]

You can pickle your code's local or global dictionary, this will save the name and value of each variable.

[vegaseat]

If you follow Lardmeister's advice, make sure your variable names are rather unique.

[Dani]

I just stumbled into this thread and, not being a python programmer, found it quite aumusing ... pickle, unpickle, huh? Can you cucumber.dump() too?

[TrustyTony]

No, Dani, cucumber is for Ruby. :)

[Gribouillis]

Python has Lettuce. But cucumber claims to work with python too.

[james.lu.75491856]

@dani
pickle is for turning objects*
into text,to write to a file so you
can save variables

*Most objects, including user-defined, If not, you can customize to do it.
It can even do recusive lists!

[Dani]

So it's like php's var_export() or serialize() then I guess.

[vegaseat]

My preference would be Python module shelve, which creates a 'persistent to file' dictionary. Dictionary objects are highly optimized in Python.

[Gribouillis]

My preference would be Python module shelve, which creates a 'persistent to file' dictionary.

I don't like shelve. I think it is very slow. Did you try cerealizer ? (in linux mint, install it with the package manager!)