loadmat_functions.py

# The following functions convert an object to a struct so that it can be saved to a mat file
import scipy.io as sio

def loadmat(filename):
    '''
	this function should be called instead of direct spio.loadmat
	as it cures the problem of not properly recovering python dictionaries
	from mat files. It calls the function check keys to cure all entries
	which are still mat-objects
	'''
    data = sio.loadmat(filename, struct_as_record=False, squeeze_me=True)
    return _check_keys(data)

def _check_keys(dict):
    '''
	checks if entries in dictionary are mat-objects. If yes
	todict is called to change them to nested dictionaries
	'''
    for key in dict:
        if isinstance(dict[key], sio.matlab.mio5_params.mat_struct):
            dict[key] = _todict(dict[key])
    return dict

def _todict(matobj):
    '''
	A recursive function which constructs from matobjects nested dictionaries
	'''
    dict = {}
    for strg in matobj._fieldnames:
        elem = matobj.__dict__[strg]
        if isinstance(elem, sio.matlab.mio5_params.mat_struct):
            dict[strg] = _todict(elem)
        else:
            dict[strg] = elem
    return dict