json - checking whether variable is dictionary in python - use 'is' or == -

json - checking whether variable is dictionary in python - use 'is' or == -

summary: have variable called 'parent' dictionary in python. want check if dict object. however, using "type(parent) dict" gives me 'false'.

note: have next library loaded in python script:

from google.appengine.ext import ndb

why happening? suspected @ first because variable 'parent' created using json library's 'loads' method.

parent = json.loads(self.request.body)

however, when create parent so,

parent = {}

i the same results observed below:

print type(parent) >> <type 'dict'> print type(parent) dict >> false print type({}) type(parent) >> true print type(parent) == dict >> false print type({}) == type(parent) >> true

what's going on here? python version issue? or have fact i've loaded google's app engine library? when execute next commands in normal terminal, no libraries loaded (python 2.7.5), next results, expect:

python 2.7.5 (default, sep 12 2013, 21:33:34) [gcc 4.2.1 compatible apple llvm 5.0 (clang-500.0.68)] on darwin >>> parent = {} >>> print type(parent) <type 'dict'> >>> print type(parent) dict true >>> print type({}) dict true >>> print type({}) type(parent) true >>> print type({}) == type(parent) true

thanks in advance guidance!

what's happening gae using subclass of dict behind scenes.

the idiomatic way check whether object instance of type in python isinstance() built-in function:

>>> parent = {} >>> isinstance(parent, dict) true

... works instances of type itself, , of subclasses.

python json google-app-engine