Function to marshal binary tree (represented as dict). Done kind of in a hurry (like 20m)....

binary_tree_marshal.py

# Arbitary binary tree (integers)
###     1
###   2    3
###  6    4 5
## {1:{"left":2,"right":{3:{"left":4,"right":5}}}}
## Goal: -> '{1:{left:2,right:{3:{left:4,right:5}}}}'

#   1
#  2 3
## '{1:{left:2,right:3}}'

tree_string = ""

def marshal(tree):
  # if has children
  if tree.get('left') or tree.get('right'):
    tree_string.append("{" + str(tree.root) + ":{")
    if tree.get('left'):
      tree_string.append("left": marshal(tree['left']))
    if tree.get('right'):
      if tree.left:
        tree_string.append(",")
      tree_string.append("right": marshal(tree['right']))

    # close inner tree
    tree_string.append("}")

  # if leaf
  else:
    tree_string.append(':' + str(tree.root))
  
  # close outer tree
  tree_string.append("}")