dpath_null.py

import dpath.util

def dpath_null(data: dict, path: str, default_return = None):
  '''function to trap any KeyErrors for dpath and return an acceptable 'null' value when dpath can't find a path

  Example 1
  ---------
  
  # Will return None if /some/path/to/an/attribute can not be found
  var = dpath_null(my_dictionary, '/some/path/to/an/attribute')

  Example 2
  ---------
  # Will return empty list if /some/path/to/a/list/attribute can not be found
  var = dpath_null(my_dictionary, '/some/path/to/a/list/attribute', [])

  Parameters
  ----------
  - data (dict):
    dictionary to search
  
  - path (str):
    path to search
    
  - default_return:
    value to return when dpath can't find a value for a path
    
  Returns
  -------
  - None:
    Returns None, or value provided as the default_return value
  '''
  try:
    return dpath.util.get(data, path)
  except KeyError as ex:
    return default_return