How to Easily Add Timestamps to JSON Output from API Calls in Python

Learn how to structure your JSON response from API calls in Python to include timestamps in a clean format, making your data easier to read and process.
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How to Easily Add Timestamps to JSON Output from API Calls in Python

When working with APIs in Python, you may encounter situations where you need to log responses and include a timestamp for reference. Adding a timestamp in the right format can significantly enhance the readability and usability of your output. In this guide, we'll explore a common scenario that involves modifying a JSON output from an API call to include a timestamp in a key-value format.

The Problem

Let’s say you have an API call that returns a JSON response, but the output lacks a timestamp. Here’s the code you have:

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Currently, the output looks like this:

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As you can see, the timestamp is not part of the JSON object, making it harder to parse and manipulate programmatically.

Desired Output

What you want is the following JSON structure:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In this desired output, you can clearly see that the timestamp is now an integral part of the JSON object, making it cleaner and more manageable.

The Solution

To achieve this structured output, we need to slightly modify your existing code. Here's the revised version of the code:

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Code Breakdown

Get the API Response:
This line retrieves the response from the API:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Parse JSON:
Here, we convert the response into a JSON dictionary:

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Generate Timestamp:
We create a timestamp using UTC to ensure accuracy:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Combine Timestamp and JSON Response:
We create a new dictionary that includes both the timestamp and the original response:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Write to Output File:
Finally, we write the new dictionary to an output file:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By integrating a timestamp directly into your JSON output from API calls, you enhance the clarity and functionality of your data logging. This practice not only helps during debugging but also ensures a more structured approach when processing your data later on.

Implement the above changes, and you'll successfully include timestamps in your JSON outputs, making your API responses much easier to manage.

Happy coding!