code: def import_parameters_from_file(parameters_file):
      
      params = {}
  
      with open(parameters_file, 'r') as f:
          matches = re.findall('(.*): (.*)', f.read())
  
      for m in matches:
          params[m[0]] = ast.literal_eval(m[1])
  
      return params
docs: Try importing a parameter dictionary from file.
  
      We expect values in parameters_file to be defined as follows:
          param1: value1
          param2: [value2, value3]