How to update loaded config file in Python

[qx6ghqkz]

So in my app which I'm running as a Docker container, before every download job I'm loading the configuration file located at /etc/gallery-dl.conf using config.load().

from gallery_dl import config, job

def download(url):
    config.load()
    job.DownloadJob(url).run()

Which initially works as expected. However, I set it up like this so that any changes to the config file while the app is running should be loaded before every download, which isn't happening: it only uses the first configuration that is loaded, so I have to re-create the container for it to use the updated configuration file.

Does config.load() not update the config file if it's already loaded? If so, how can I achieve that? I looked through config.py and there's no update() function defined but there is this. There is a clear() function though so would clear() before load() work or can I do update()?

[qx6ghqkz]

Hang on, I may have figured something out. It could be a Linux/Docker issue rather than config.load() not updating the config file. This link goes into more detail. Still not sure what to do. I guess I could try mounting a dir rather than the config file directly into the container.

Would still like some clarification on whether config.load() picks up changes though.

Edit: It does, closing this discussion.

[mikf]

config.load() does pick up changes when called multiple times.

It doesn't remove deleted entries though. For example a "foo": "bar" setting picked up during the first load() will still stay in the global config dict (config._config) after deleting it from the config file and calling load() a second time. It only ever adds new values or updates existing ones.

so would clear() before load() work or can I do update()?

I'd recommend clear() before load(), but directly modifying config._config through update() and so on works as well and is probably faster. Make sure not to replace the existing config dict with a new one, though.

[qx6ghqkz]

config.load() does pick up changes when called multiple times.

It doesn't remove deleted entries though. For example a "foo": "bar" setting picked up during the first load() will still stay in the global config dict (config._config) after deleting it from the config file and calling load() a second time. It only ever adds new values or updates existing ones.

so would clear() before load() work or can I do update()?

I'd recommend clear() before load(), but directly modifying config._config through update() and so on works as well and is probably faster. Make sure not to replace the existing config dict with a new one, though.

Thank you, I hadn't considered the possibility that it wouldn't remove deleted entries, that's a great help.