A set of regex converstions to turn a ruby hash output string into a json parseable string

convert_ruby_hash_string_to_json.rb

require 'json'

# Example ruby hash string which exercises all of the permutations of position and type
# See http://json.org/
ruby_hash_text='{"alpha"=>{"first second > third"=>"first second > third", "after comma > foo"=>:symbolvalue, "another after comma > foo"=>10}, "bravo"=>{:symbol=>:symbolvalue, :aftercomma=>10, :anotheraftercomma=>"first second > third"}, "charlie"=>{1=>10, 2=>"first second > third", 3=>:symbolvalue}, "delta"=>["first second > third", "after comma > foo"], "echo"=>[:symbol, :aftercomma], "foxtrot"=>[1, 2]}'

puts ruby_hash_text

# Transform object string symbols to quoted strings
ruby_hash_text.gsub!(/([{,]\s*):([^>\s]+)\s*=>/, '\1"\2"=>')

# Transform object string numbers to quoted strings
ruby_hash_text.gsub!(/([{,]\s*)([0-9]+\.?[0-9]*)\s*=>/, '\1"\2"=>')

# Transform object value symbols to quotes strings
ruby_hash_text.gsub!(/([{,]\s*)(".+?"|[0-9]+\.?[0-9]*)\s*=>\s*:([^,}\s]+\s*)/, '\1\2=>"\3"')

# Transform array value symbols to quotes strings
ruby_hash_text.gsub!(/([\[,]\s*):([^,\]\s]+)/, '\1"\2"')

# Transform object string object value delimiter to colon delimiter
ruby_hash_text.gsub!(/([{,]\s*)(".+?"|[0-9]+\.?[0-9]*)\s*=>/, '\1\2:')

puts ruby_hash_text

puts JSON.parse(ruby_hash_text)

Suggestion : You could add a gsub of all :nil to :null to handle that particular weirdness. – SteveTurczyn

Suggestion: Add a regex to handle symbolized keys. This is what I implemented: ruby_hash_text.gsub!(/\b(\w+):/, '"\1" =>')

Transform nil to "nil"
ruby_hash_text.gsub!(/nil/, '"nil"')