I needed to update the __openerp__.py file automatically, so I wrote the following code

import json as json 
with open('__openerp__.py','r+') as fl:
    var = eval(fl.read())
    var['data'].append('some_xml_file.xml')
    fl.seek(0,0)
    fl.truncate()
    output = json.dumps(var, indent=4)
    fl.write(output)

The problem with this code is that the json.dumps method outputs the key 

{...,
'installable': True,
...}

to 

{...,
"installable": true,
...}

So when the __openerp__.py file is being read again it will gives the error: 

NameError: name 'false' is not defined

I've written the following line to mend this problem

    ...
    output = output.replace(': false',': False').replace(': true',': True')

    fl.write(output)

My question is, How to update the __openerp__.py file correctly, i.e. as a python dictionary,  without appealing to this replace line of code