Batch conversion of a txt file to a json file

Batch Conversion of Text Files to JSON Files

Converting a text file to a JSON file can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if you have a large number of files to convert. However, there are several tools and methods available that can help you automate this process and make it much easier. In this blog post, we will discuss one such method that can be used to batch convert text files to JSON files.

Methodology

The method we will be discussing involves using a Python script to read the contents of a text file, convert it to JSON format, and save the result to a new file. This can be done using the built-in json module in Python. The script will take two arguments: the input file name and the output file name.

Step-by-Step Guide

Here are the steps you can follow to batch convert text files to JSON files:

Step 1: Install Python

If you don’t already have Python installed on your system, you can download and install it from the official website https://www.python.org/downloads/. Make sure to download the version that is compatible with your operating system.

Step 2: Create a Python Script

Open a text editor and create a new file. Copy and paste the following code into the file:

import json
import sys

def convert_text_to_json(input_file, output_file):
    with open(input_file, 'r') as f:
        lines = f.readlines()

    data = []
    for i in range(0, len(lines), 2):
        item = {lines[i].strip(): lines[i+1].strip()}
        data.append(item)

    with open(output_file, 'w') as f:
        json.dump(data, f, indent=4)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    input_file = sys.argv[1]
    output_file = sys.argv[2]
    convert_text_to_json(input_file, output_file)

This script defines a function called convert_text_to_json that takes two arguments: the input file name and the output file name. The function reads the contents of the input file, converts it to JSON format, and saves the result to the output file.

Step 3: Save the Python Script

Save the Python script with a meaningful name, such as text_to_json_converter.py.

Step 4: Prepare Input Files

Create a directory that contains all the text files you want to convert to JSON format. For this example, let’s assume that the directory is called input_files and contains a file called proxy.txt.

Step 5: Create Output Directory

Create a new directory called output_files that will contain the converted JSON files.

Step 6: Run the Python Script

Open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where the Python script is saved. Run the following command:

python text_to_json_converter.py input_files/proxy.txt output_files/proxy.json

This command will run the Python script and convert the contents of proxy.txt to JSON format. The converted data will be saved to a new file called proxy.json in the output_files directory.

Step 7: Batch Conversion

To perform a batch conversion of all the text files in the input_files directory, you can use a simple shell script. Create a new file called batch_converter.sh and copy and paste the following code into the file:

#!/bin/bash

mkdir output_files

for f in input_files/*.txt
do
  python text_to_json_converter.py "$f" output_files/$(basename "$f" .txt).json
done

This shell script will loop through all the text files in the input_files directory, run the Python script on each file, and save the converted output to a new JSON file with the same name as the input file in the output_files directory.

Conclusion

Batch converting text files to JSON files can be a time-consuming task, but with the right tools and methods, it can be made much easier. Using a Python script to automate the process is a great way to save time and effort. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can easily batch convert your text files to JSON files and streamline your workflow.

To batch convert a text file to a JSON file, you can use a command-line tool like jq or write a script in a programming language like Python.

Here’s an example of how you could use jq to convert your text file to a JSON array of objects:

# Split the text file into lines and map each line to an object with a "proxy" property
jq -n '[inputs | {"proxy": .}]' proxy.txt > output.json

Alternatively, you could write a Python script to read the text file, parse the data, and write it to a JSON file. Here’s an example of how you could do this:

import json

# Read the text file and split it into lines
with open('proxy.txt', 'r') as f:
    lines = f.read().splitlines()

# Create a list of objects with a "proxy" property
proxies = [{"proxy": line} for line in lines]

# Write the list to a JSON file
with open('output.json', 'w') as f:
    json.dump(proxies, f)

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions.

[test.bat]

@echo off 
SetLocal EnableDelayedExpansion
cls
set tmp=
echo [
FOR /F "tokens=1" %%a in (proxy.txt) do (
    IF "!tmp!"=="" (
        SET tmp=%%a
    ) ELSE (
        echo {"!tmp!":"%%a"},
        set tmp=
    )
)
echo {"%tmp%":""}]

[proxy.txt]

84.15.160.174:4145
178.208.17.195:9999
58.253.154.117:9999
112.87.71.194:9999

Output:

[
{"84.15.160.174:4145":"178.208.17.195:9999"},
{"58.253.154.117:9999":"112.87.71.194:9999"},
{"":""}]

[proxy.txt]

84.15.160.174:4145
178.208.17.195:9999
58.253.154.117:9999
112.87.71.194:9999
11.22.33.44:5555

Output:

[
{"84.15.160.174:4145":"178.208.17.195:9999"},
{"58.253.154.117:9999":"112.87.71.194:9999"},
{"11.22.33.44:5555":""}]

Note that if having an empty object is not secure for you, particularly when the number of lines is even, you can add an appropriate IF statement to the last echo. Additionally, you can enclose the FOR loop in an IF statement that will ignore empty lines in the proxy.txt file if required.