How to import or include data structures (e.g. a dict) into a Python file from a separate file

Just import it

import myDict
print myDict.airportCode

or, better

from myDict import airportCode
print airportCode

Just be careful to put both scripts on the same directory (or make a python package, a subdir with __init__.py file; or put the path to script.py on the PYTHONPATH; but these are "advanced options", just put it on the same directory and it'll be fine).


Assuming your import myDict works, you need to do the following:

from myDict import airportCode

If your dict has to be hand-editable by a non-programmer, perhaps it might make more sense using a CSV file for this. Then you editor can even use Excel.

So you can use:

import csv
csvfile = csv.reader(open("airports.csv"))
airportCode = dict(csvfile)

to read a CSV file like

"ABERDEEN","ABZ"
"BELFAST INTERNATIONAL","BFS"
"BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL","BHX"
"BIRMINGHAM INTL","BHX"
"BOURNMOUTH","BOH"
"BRISTOL","BRS"

Careful: If an airport were in that list twice, the last occurrence would silently "overwrite" any previous one(s).