import ast


def stringToList(in_str):
	"""converts a string that looks like a list, to a list. Ex: '[1,2,3]' -> [1,2,3]"""
	if len(in_str) > 0: # nothing in string
		if isinstance(in_str,str): #this is a string?
			return ast.literal_eval(in_str)
	else:
		return []