NetworkX graph serialization and attribute type persistence
26K reputation · 05 Jun 2021, 12:08 UTC
NetworkX supports exporting graph structures to various formats, including GML, GraphML, and JSON, via the read_write module. While node_link_data enables conversion to Python dictionaries for JSON compatibility, the library relies on standard Python dictionary structures for in-memory storage.
A design challenge arises when graphs contain complex Python objects as node or edge attributes. Because the built-in serialization methods do not include native encryption or specialized encoders for non-primitive types, there is uncertainty regarding the integrity of these attributes during a full serialization round-trip.
Technical Constraints
- Standard JSON encoders cannot process complex Python objects without custom logic.
- Serialization output is plaintext by default.
Which specific attribute types are guaranteed to survive a round-trip between node_link_data and node_link_graph? Is there a documented mechanism within NetworkX to handle custom object serialization without external wrappers?
python
networkx