Serialize a SqlAlchemy Query

gistfile1.py

def serialize(query):
    # we wantto transform a sqlalchemy query set into something that can be turned into json
    serialized = []
    for result in query:
        # Strategy: get all the columns on the model and put them in a dictionary.
        # Then get the relation models and do the same thing, adding them to the master dictionary
        s = {}
        relations = result.__mapper__.relationships._data.keys()
        columns = result.__table__.columns._data.keys()
        table = result.__table__.name

        for c in columns:
            if c == "timestamp":
                # convert timestamp object to an actual timestamp
                attr = (getattr(result, c) - datetime(1970,1,1)).total_seconds()
            else:
                attr = getattr(result, c)

            s[c] =  attr

        if(relations):
            for relation in relations:
                s[relation] = []
                relationModels = []
                relationModels.append(getattr(result, relation))

                if len(relationModels) == 1:
                    try:
                        # we're going to check if there's only 1 item, and then if there is we're
                        # going to check if that object is an object. if it's not, then it's a list
                        # and we don't need lists inside of lists.
                        len(relationModels[0])
                        relationModels = relationModels[0]
                    except TypeError:
                        pass

                for model in relationModels:
                    modelDict = unpack_model(model)
                    s[relation].append(modelDict)

        serialized.append(s)
    if len(serialized) == 1:
        return serialized[0]
        
    return serialized