python - Convert Tweepy Status object into JSON

Question

I'm using Tweepy to download tweets. I have a program that then writes the actual Status object to a file in text form. How do I translate this into JSON, or import this object back into Python? I've tried using the JSON library to encode, but Status is not JSON serializable.

Answer 1

The Status object of tweepy itself is not JSON serializable, but it has a _json property which contains JSON serializable response data. For example:

>>> status_list = api.user_timeline(user_handler)
>>> status = status_list[0]
>>> json_str = json.dumps(status._json)

Answer 2

A better way to do this is to use a tweepy parser. It's not documented very well - see the Tweepy API reference - but it's a public API, so much safer than using the _json property.

import tweepy
auth = tweepy.OAuthHandler(CONSUMER_KEY, CONSUMER_SECRET)
auth.set_access_token(ACCESS_TOKEN, ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET)
api = tweepy.API(auth, parser=tweepy.parsers.JSONParser())
status = api.user_timeline(user=username, count=1)[0]
json.dumps(status)

status is now a json object.

Answer 3

users = api.search_users('TimHortons', 1)
print(json.dumps(users[0]._json))

Use json.dumps(users[0]._json) if object has _json. Users was only an example.