far better structure, more modular

persistence/__init__.py

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+# Placeholder

persistence/permanent_vars.json

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+{"messages_read": 56, "messages_sent": 34, "commands_executed": 21, "photos_sent": 4, "log": [], "chat_members": {"364520272": "Remy Moll"}, "reboots": 49}

persistence/rw.py

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+import json
+import time
+
+class Variables():
+    """"""
+
+    def __init__(self,savefile_path):
+        self.path = savefile_path
+        self.last_action = ""
+        # last performed action, if only reads are made, then the underlying var has not been changed
+        # and doesn't need to be read again
+        self.savefile = {}
+
+    def write(self, name, value):
+        if self.last_action == "read":
+            pre = self.savefile
+        else:
+            pre = self.read()
+        pre[name] = value
+        try:
+            file = open(self.path,"w")
+            json.dump(pre, file)
+            file.close()
+            self.last_action = "write"
+        except:
+            print("Config not written - critical")
+
+    def read(self, name=""):
+        if self.last_action == "read":
+            vars = self.savefile
+        else:
+            try:
+                file = open(self.path,"r")
+                vars = json.load(file)
+                file.close()
+                self.savefile = vars
+                self.last_action = "read"
+            except:
+                return None
+
+        if len(name) != 0:
+            vars = vars[name]
+
+        return vars
+
+    def increment(self, name=""):
+        if self.last_action == "read":
+            pre = self.savefile
+        else:
+            pre = self.read()
+
+        try:
+            pre[name] += 1
+            file = open(self.path,"w")
+            json.dump(pre, file)
+            file.close()
+            self.last_action = "write"
+        except:
+            print("Config not written - critical")