Pretty Print JSON with a Twist

json-pp.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3

# See blog article: 
#   https://blog.zanstra.com/2020/10/05/Pretty-printing-JSON-with-a-twist.html

import json, re, sys

def json_stringify(obj, indent=2):
    if not isinstance(indent, str):
        indent = ' ' * indent
    result = json.dumps(obj, indent=indent)
    r_indent=re.escape(indent)
    if indent[:1]=='\t':
        r_indent0  = ''
        r_indent1N = re.escape(indent)
    else:
        r_indent0 = re.escape(indent[:1])
        r_indent1N = re.escape(indent[1:])
    rx_indent = r'([,{[]) *\n((?:%s)*)%s(%s)' % (r_indent, r_indent0, r_indent1N)
    result = re.sub(rx_indent, r'\n\2\1\3', result)
    return result[1:] if result[:1]=='\n' else result

obj = json.load(sys.stdin)
print(json_stringify(obj))