json_to_csv_jobs.py

import urllib2
import json
import csv

def get_info(api):
    try: 
        data = urllib2.urlopen(api)
        response_data = json.load(data)
        data.close()
    except urllib2.HTTPError, e:
        print "HTTP error: {}".format(e.code)
    except urllib2.URLError, e:
        print "Network error: {}".format(e.reason.args[1])
    item_keys = []
    write_header = True
    with open('nyc_jobs2.csv', 'wb') as csv_file:
        writer = csv.writer(csv_file)
        for item in response_data:
            item_values = []
            for key in item:
                if write_header:
                    item_keys.append(key)
                value = item.get(key, '')
                #check if the vlue is a string, and if so, convert to unicode
                if isinstance(value, basestring):
                    item_values.append(value.encode('utf-8'))
                else:
                    item_values.append(value)
            if write_header:
                writer.writerow(item_keys)
                write_header = False
            writer.writerow(item_values)
    csv_file.close()

api_link = "https://data.cityofnewyork.us/resource/kpav-sd4t.json"
get_info(api_link)
#outputs a csv file with the following fields: 
#minimum_qual_requirements,salary_range_from,additional_information,job_description,to_apply,title_code_no,process_date,civil_service_title,posting_updated,job_id,agency,division_work_unit,business_title,__of_positions,hours_shift,work_location_1,residency_requirement,salary_range_to,posting_type,work_location,preferred_skills,salary_frequency,level,posting_date