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Pickle Dump to save an object inside a class

Let's say I have a class like: -

class MyClass: some object here some other object here def init(self, some parameters): do something def some_other_method(self, param): something else def save(self, path): PICKLE DUMP THIS OBJECT def load(self, path): PICKLE LOAD OBJECT

I do not want to sort the load and dump as:

 obj = MyClass(param) pickle.dump(obj, mypath)

But rather like this:

 obj.save(mypath)

How to do this in a class definition?

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2 answers

You can pass self instead of obj . In other words:

 def save(self, file_handler): pickle.dump(self, file_handler)

self points to an instance of this class. So what you basically do is call pickle.dump and pass the instance to it along with the file_handler argument.

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Let's build class A and try it ...

 >>> class A(object): ... x = 1 ... def __init__(self, y): ... self.y = y ... def showme(self): ... return self.y + self.x ... def save(self): ... return pickle.dump(self) ... def load(self, pik): ... self.__dict__.update(pickle.loads(pik).__dict__) ... >>> a = A(2) >>> a.showme() 3 >>> import pickle >>> >>> a_ = a.save() >>> ay = 5 >>> a.showme() 6 >>> a.load(a_) >>> ay 2 >>> a.showme() 3 >>> b = A(9) >>> b.load(a_) >>> by 2 >>> b.showme() 3 >>> bx = 4 >>> b.showme() 6 >>> b_ = b.save() >>> a.load(b_) >>> ax 4 >>> ay 2 >>> a.showme() 6 >>>

However, since you defined the class in __main__ , if you were to start a python interpreter session ... your pickles would be useless since the class would no longer exist. This is because the pinna pickles are by reference. However, there is a workaround for this. If you use dill , you can rekindle your classes by serializing the class definition. Then the classes defined in __main__ will still be available in the new session.

 >>> a.showme() 6 >>> import dill as pickle >>> a.save() '\x80\x02cdill.dill\n_create_type\nq\x00(cdill.dill\n_load_type\nq\x01U\x08TypeTypeq\x02\x85q\x03Rq\x04U\x01Aq\x05h\x01U\nObjectTypeq\x06\x85q\x07Rq\x08\x85q\t}q\n(U\x04loadq\x0bcdill.dill\n_create_function\nq\x0c(cdill.dill\n_unmarshal\nq\rU\xaec\x02\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00\x03\x00\x00\x00C\x00\x00\x00s \x00\x00\x00|\x00\x00j\x00\x00j\x01\x00t\x02\x00j\x03\x00|\x01\x00\x83\x01\x00j\x00\x00\x83\x01\x00\x01d\x00\x00S(\x01\x00\x00\x00N(\x04\x00\x00\x00t\x08\x00\x00\x00__dict__t\x06\x00\x00\x00updatet\x06\x00\x00\x00picklet\x05\x00\x00\x00loads(\x02\x00\x00\x00t\x04\x00\x00\x00selft\x03\x00\x00\x00pik(\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00s\x07\x00\x00\x00<stdin>t\x04\x00\x00\x00load\t\x00\x00\x00s\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01q\x0e\x85q\x0fRq\x10c__builtin__\n__main__\nh\x0bNN}q\x11tq\x12Rq\x13U\r__slotnames__q\x14]q\x15U\n__module__q\x16U\x08__main__q\x17U\x06showmeq\x18h\x0c(h\rUuc\x01\x00\x00\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00C\x00\x00\x00s\x0e\x00\x00\x00|\x00\x00j\x00\x00|\x00\x00j\x01\x00\x17S(\x01\x00\x00\x00N(\x02\x00\x00\x00t\x01\x00\x00\x00yt\x01\x00\x00\x00x(\x01\x00\x00\x00t\x04\x00\x00\x00self(\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00s\x07\x00\x00\x00<stdin>t\x06\x00\x00\x00showme\x05\x00\x00\x00s\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01q\x19\x85q\x1aRq\x1bc__builtin__\n__main__\nh\x18NN}q\x1ctq\x1dRq\x1eU\x01xq\x1fK\x01U\x04saveq h\x0c(h\rU{c\x01\x00\x00\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00C\x00\x00\x00s\r\x00\x00\x00t\x00\x00j\x01\x00|\x00\x00\x83\x01\x00S(\x01\x00\x00\x00N(\x02\x00\x00\x00t\x06\x00\x00\x00picklet\x05\x00\x00\x00dumps(\x01\x00\x00\x00t\x04\x00\x00\x00self(\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00s\x07\x00\x00\x00<stdin>t\x04\x00\x00\x00save\x07\x00\x00\x00s\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01q!\x85q"Rq#c__builtin__\n__main__\nh NN}q$tq%Rq&U\x07__doc__q\'NU\x08__init__q(h\x0c(h\rUuc\x02\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00C\x00\x00\x00s\r\x00\x00\x00|\x01\x00|\x00\x00_\x00\x00d\x00\x00S(\x01\x00\x00\x00N(\x01\x00\x00\x00t\x01\x00\x00\x00y(\x02\x00\x00\x00t\x04\x00\x00\x00selfR\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00s\x07\x00\x00\x00<stdin>t\x08\x00\x00\x00__init__\x03\x00\x00\x00s\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01q)\x85q*Rq+c__builtin__\n__main__\nh(NN}q,tq-Rq.utq/Rq0)\x81q1}q2(U\x01yq3K\x02h\x1fK\x04ub.' >>>

Then we exit the session and restart. Paste to the line above. (Yes, I could work with a file descriptor, but I will show it later ...)

 Python 2.7.9 (default, Dec 11 2014, 01:21:43) [GCC 4.2.1 Compatible Apple Clang 4.1 ((tags/Apple/clang-421.11.66))] on darwin Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import dill as pickle >>> >>> a = '\x80\x02cdill.dill\n_create_type\nq\x00(cdill.dill\n_load_type\nq\x01U\x08TypeTypeq\x02\x85q\x03Rq\x04U\x01Aq\x05h\x01U\nObjectTypeq\x06\x85q\x07Rq\x08\x85q\t}q\n(U\x04loadq\x0bcdill.dill\n_create_function\nq\x0c(cdill.dill\n_unmarshal\nq\rU\xaec\x02\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00\x03\x00\x00\x00C\x00\x00\x00s \x00\x00\x00|\x00\x00j\x00\x00j\x01\x00t\x02\x00j\x03\x00|\x01\x00\x83\x01\x00j\x00\x00\x83\x01\x00\x01d\x00\x00S(\x01\x00\x00\x00N(\x04\x00\x00\x00t\x08\x00\x00\x00__dict__t\x06\x00\x00\x00updatet\x06\x00\x00\x00picklet\x05\x00\x00\x00loads(\x02\x00\x00\x00t\x04\x00\x00\x00selft\x03\x00\x00\x00pik(\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00s\x07\x00\x00\x00<stdin>t\x04\x00\x00\x00load\t\x00\x00\x00s\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01q\x0e\x85q\x0fRq\x10c__builtin__\n__main__\nh\x0bNN}q\x11tq\x12Rq\x13U\r__slotnames__q\x14]q\x15U\n__module__q\x16U\x08__main__q\x17U\x06showmeq\x18h\x0c(h\rUuc\x01\x00\x00\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00C\x00\x00\x00s\x0e\x00\x00\x00|\x00\x00j\x00\x00|\x00\x00j\x01\x00\x17S(\x01\x00\x00\x00N(\x02\x00\x00\x00t\x01\x00\x00\x00yt\x01\x00\x00\x00x(\x01\x00\x00\x00t\x04\x00\x00\x00self(\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00s\x07\x00\x00\x00<stdin>t\x06\x00\x00\x00showme\x05\x00\x00\x00s\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01q\x19\x85q\x1aRq\x1bc__builtin__\n__main__\nh\x18NN}q\x1ctq\x1dRq\x1eU\x01xq\x1fK\x01U\x04saveq h\x0c(h\rU{c\x01\x00\x00\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00C\x00\x00\x00s\r\x00\x00\x00t\x00\x00j\x01\x00|\x00\x00\x83\x01\x00S(\x01\x00\x00\x00N(\x02\x00\x00\x00t\x06\x00\x00\x00picklet\x05\x00\x00\x00dumps(\x01\x00\x00\x00t\x04\x00\x00\x00self(\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00s\x07\x00\x00\x00<stdin>t\x04\x00\x00\x00save\x07\x00\x00\x00s\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01q!\x85q"Rq#c__builtin__\n__main__\nh NN}q$tq%Rq&U\x07__doc__q\'NU\x08__init__q(h\x0c(h\rUuc\x02\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00C\x00\x00\x00s\r\x00\x00\x00|\x01\x00|\x00\x00_\x00\x00d\x00\x00S(\x01\x00\x00\x00N(\x01\x00\x00\x00t\x01\x00\x00\x00y(\x02\x00\x00\x00t\x04\x00\x00\x00selfR\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00(\x00\x00\x00\x00s\x07\x00\x00\x00<stdin>t\x08\x00\x00\x00__init__\x03\x00\x00\x00s\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01q)\x85q*Rq+c__builtin__\n__main__\nh(NN}q,tq-Rq.utq/Rq0)\x81q1}q2(U\x01yq3K\x02h\x1fK\x04ub.' >>> >>> pickle.loads(a) <__main__.A object at 0x105691c50> >>> b = _ >>> >>> bx 4 >>> b.showme() 6 >>> A = b.__class__ >>> c = A(2) >>> cx 1 >>> c.showme() 3

Incredibly, the class is rebuilt in __main__ from a pickled instance. So, now let's discuss changing class methods to use the new save and load , which work with files instead of strings.

 >>> def save(self, path): ... with open(path, 'w') as f: ... pickle.dump(self, f) ... >>> def load(self, path): ... with open(path, 'r') as f: ... self.__dict__.update(pickle.load(f).__dict__) ... >>> A.save = save >>> A.load = load >>> >>> c.save('foo') >>>

Then we exit the session and restart. Since we do not have version A , we must use the load method directly from pickle (in fact, dill in this case).

 Python 2.7.9 (default, Dec 11 2014, 01:21:43) [GCC 4.2.1 Compatible Apple Clang 4.1 ((tags/Apple/clang-421.11.66))] on darwin Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import dill as pickle >>> with open('foo', 'r') as f: ... a = pickle.load(f) ... >>> a <__main__.A object at 0x1028c0b10> >>> ax 1 >>> a.showme() 3 >>> ay = 6 >>> a.showme() 7 >>> a.load('foo') >>> ay 2 >>> a.showme() 3 >>>

It may be a better or more specific way for you to want to load the state of an instance of the class rather than updating __dict__ . Doing this will not work in all cases, and it is probably best to configure it for your class. However, if I had this, I would not have the save and load methods in the class, but I would use the methods provided by your serializer directly. You can see above how inconvenient / redundant it is to use the load method from the class.

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