gistfile1.py

def params_to_dict(param_str):
    splits = param_str.split(" ")
    data = {}
    prev_key = None
    prev_val = None

    for s in splits:
        if "=" in s:
            key, val = s.split("=")
            if prev_key:
                data[prev_key] = prev_val
            prev_val = val
            prev_key = key
        else:
            new_val = prev_val + " " + s
            prev_val = new_val

    data[prev_key] = prev_val

    # and now some sanity checking, because this is so stupid
    expected_params = param_str.count("=")
    expected_len = len(param_str) - expected_params

    actual_len = 0
    for k, v in data.items():
        actual_len += len(k), len(v)

    if expected_params != len(data.items()):
        raise Exception("fucked param count. expected {}, got {}".format(expected_params, len(data.items())))

    if expected_len != actual_len:
        raise Exception("fucked param len. expected {}, got {}".format(expected_len, actual_len))

    return data