How to format the display of JSON data in a tkinter.Text widget?

Question

I have created a Python GUI that allows the user to create and save text files (technically a journal). Within the workspace (VS Code), I have created a JSON file of simple key/value pairs (technically a dictionary); "word": "definition".

I want the user to be able to click a button that opens a window with a tk.Text widget which contains the JSON data in a clear, readable, and alphabetical list form, but the data prints out as a multiline string separated by single quotes without any spaces or newlines inside the Text widget.

My desired outcome is a "read-only" list of key/value pairs, one per line, without all of the JSON syntax (double quotes, commas, and curly brackets). I cannot find any solution to achieve this specific preference, and I'm still learning the capabilities of JSON data within a Python program. If there is a more suitable or configurable method, I am open to suggestions, but I hope there is a simple configuration to the Python syntax that dictates how the data prints in the Text widget.

Thank you for any insights given. I do not think the code would be relevant to address this but if needed, I can add it.

Answer 1

I'd make use of the builtin json module, and use the dump method of a loaded json file, or dumps with a string like in this example:

import json
print(json.dumps({'4': 5, '6': 7}, sort_keys=True, indent=4))

resulting in

{
    "4": 5,
    "6": 7
}

https://docs.python.org/3/library/json.html

So instead of printing it directly, you can pass it through json.dumps and then add the result to your text widget:

import tkinter as tk
import json

app = tk.Tk()

text = tk.Text(app)

text.pack()

json_val = json.loads('{"a": 5, "b": 7}')

for k in json_val:
    text.insert(tk.END, '{} = {}\n'.format(k,json_val[k]))
text.config(state = tk.DISABLED)
app.mainloop()

The above code produces this: