Convert strings to the value they represent. Written in Python. Can anyone do faster?

to_value

def to_value(string):
    """Converts a string to the value it represents.
    If a non-string has been given, it stays as it is.

    Examples:
        >>> to_value("foobar")
        "foobar"
        >>> to_value(12345)
        12345
        >>> to_value("12345")
        12345
        >>> to_value("3.1415")
        3.1415
        >>> to_value("1,2,1")
        [1, 2, 1]
        >>> to_value("1,a,.5")
        [1, "a", 0.5]
    """
    # try if converting int/float back to str looks equal to the original
    # string. Return the string otherwise.
    for type_ in [int, float]:
        try:
            return type_(string)
        except ValueError:
            continue

    # if there is a comma, it must be a list
    try:
        if "," in string:
            return [to_value(s) for s in string.split(",") if s]
    except AttributeError:
        # It's not splittable. Not a string.
        return string
    except TypeError:
        # It's not iterable. Unknown type.
        return string

    # Getting here means the string couldn't be converted to something else.
    # We will return a string then.
    return string

I just learned about:

from ast import literal_eval as to_value

Or to do exactly the same as the gist (and more):

from ast import literal_eval

def to_value(string):
    try:
        return literal_eval(string)
    except SyntaxError:
        return string
    except ValueError:
        return "'%s'" % string