example of parsing a yaml-like key-value data structure

parse.py

# encoding: utf-8
s = u"""
 title: An example
author: Stefan
  date: 2008-12-02 12:03:00
  text:
This is the blog entry and
a longer text which can have
paragraphs.

This text goes up to but not
including a "•" in a single
line.
•
keywords: foo, bar, baz
"""

import re

RE = re.compile(r"\s*(\w+):(?:\s+(.*)\s*)?$", re.U)

def parse(s):
    attrs = {}
    lines = iter(s.splitlines())
    for line in lines:
        m = RE.match(line)
        if m:
            if m.group(2) is None:
                value = []
                for line in lines:
                    if line == u"•":
                        break
                    value.append(line)
                attrs[m.group(1)] = "\n".join(value)
            else:
                attrs[m.group(1)] = m.group(2)
    return attrs

print parse(s)