Add functions to work with dictionaries

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from .local_time import get_now, TZ
 from copy import deepcopy
 from copy import deepcopy
 from datetime import timedelta
 from datetime import timedelta
 from dateutil.parser import parse
 from dateutil.parser import parse
-from dpath.util import new as xpathnew
+from dpath.util import delete as xpathdelete, get as xpathget, new as xpathnew
 from haversine import haversine
 from haversine import haversine
 from json import load, loads
 from json import load, loads
 from jsonpath_rw import parse as parse_path
 from jsonpath_rw import parse as parse_path
@@ -63,7 +63,9 @@ from restkit import request
 import os
 import os
 import re
 import re
 
 
+
 NUM_TYPES = (int, long, float)
 NUM_TYPES = (int, long, float)
+STR_TYPES = (str, unicode)
 
 
 
 
 def get_current_tzdate():
 def get_current_tzdate():
@@ -587,3 +589,17 @@ def convert_amount_string_to_float(amount_string):
 def compare_rationale_types(type1, type2):
 def compare_rationale_types(type1, type2):
     return set(type1) == set(type2)
     return set(type1) == set(type2)
 
 
+
+def delete_from_dictionary(variable, path):
+    if not type(path) in STR_TYPES:
+        raise TypeError('path must be one of: ' +
+            str([x.__name__ for x in STR_TYPES]))
+    return xpathdelete(variable, path, separator='.')
+
+
+def dictionary_should_not_contain_path(dictionary, path):
+    try:
+        xpathget(dictionary, path, separator='.')
+    except KeyError:
+        return
+    raise RuntimeError("Dictionary contains path '%s'." % path)