Converting a string representation of a Ruby Hash back into a Ruby Hash

convert_string_hash_representation_to_ruby_hash.rb

require 'pp'
require 'json'

s = "{:exit_url=>\"null\", :exit_target_type=>\"left\", :furthest_scrolled=>\"locations\", :time_spent=>\"543210\", :user_id=>\"123456\", :visited_at=>789101112, :user=>nil}"

pp JSON.parse("{" + s.gsub(/^{|}$/, '').split(', ').map { |pair| pair.split('=>') }.map {|k, v| [k.gsub(/^:(\w*)/, '"\1"'), v == 'nil' ? "null" : v].join(": ") }.join(", ") + "}")

=> {"exit_url"=>"null", "exit_target_type"=>"left", "furthest_scrolled"=>"locations", "time_spent"=>"543210", "user_id"=>"123456", "visited_at"=>789101112, "user"=>nil}

I hate this code but it's better than eval. Any suggestions?

This is what I found:

def string_parse_to_hash(string)
  modified_string = string
    .gsub(/:(\w+)/){"\"#{$1}\""}
    .gsub('=>', ':')
    .gsub("nil", "null")
  JSON.parse(modified_string)
rescue
  {}
end