diff --git a/lib/utility.lua b/lib/utility.lua
index 88e7e20..3eda5f8 100644
--- a/lib/utility.lua
+++ b/lib/utility.lua
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ else
   }
 end
 
-utility.version = "1.4.0"
+utility.version = "1.5.2"
 -- WARNING: This will return "./" if the original script is called locally instead of with an absolute path!
 if arg[0] ~= nil then
   utility.path = (arg[0]:match("@?(.*/)") or arg[0]:match("@?(.*\\)")) -- inspired by discussion in https://stackoverflow.com/q/6380820
@@ -124,14 +124,6 @@ standard_library_addition(string, "enquote", function(s)
   return "\"" .. s:gsub("\"", "\\\"") .. "\""
 end)
 
-standard_library_addition(string, "split", function(s, delimiter)
-  local result = {}
-  for item in s:gsplit(delimiter) do
-    result[#result + 1] = item
-  end
-  return result
-end)
-
 standard_library_addition(string, "gsplit", function(s, delimiter)
   local function escape_special_characters(s)
     local special_characters = "[()%%.[^$%]*+%-?]"
@@ -144,6 +136,14 @@ standard_library_addition(string, "gsplit", function(s, delimiter)
   return s:gmatch("(.-)" .. escape_special_characters(delimiter))
 end)
 
+standard_library_addition(string, "split", function(s, delimiter)
+  local result = {}
+  for item in s:gsplit(delimiter) do
+    result[#result + 1] = item
+  end
+  return result
+end)
+
 
 
 -- modified from my fork of lume
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ utility.release_lock = function(file_path, lock_uuid)
   local lock_file_path = file_path .. ".lock"
   if lock_uuid then
     utility.open(lock_file_path, "r", function(file)
-      if not file:read("*all") == lock_uuid then
+      if not (file:read("*all") == lock_uuid) then
         error("\n\n Lock UUID changed while lock was obtained. Data loss may have occurred. \n\n")
       end
     end)
@@ -348,12 +348,47 @@ utility.save_config = function()
   end
 end
 
+local data_file_locations = {}
+utility.load_data = function(file_path)
+  local data = utility.open(file_path, "r", function(data_file)
+    local json = utility.require("dkjson")
+    return json.decode(data_file:read("*all"))
+  end)
+  data_file_locations[data] = file_path
+  return data
+end
+
+utility.save_data = function(data, file_path)
+  local keys, loop = {}
+  loop = function(tab)
+    if type(tab) == "table" then
+      for k,v in pairs(tab) do
+        if not (type(k) == "number") then
+          keys[k] = true
+        end
+        loop(v)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+  loop(data)
+  local order = {}
+  for k in pairs(keys) do order[#order + 1] = k end
+  table.sort(order)
+
+  file_path = file_path or data_file_locations[data]
+  assert(file_path, "The object must have been loaded by utility.load_data or you must pass a path as the second argument.")
+  utility.open(file_path, "w", function(data_file)
+    local json = utility.require("dkjson")
+    data_file:write(json.encode(data, { indent = true, keyorder = order, }))
+    data_file:write("\n")
+  end)
+end
+
 
 
 utility.deepcopy = function(tab)
-  local _type = type(tab)
   local copy
-  if _type == "table" then
+  if type(tab) == "table" then
     copy = {}
     for key, value in next, tab, nil do
       copy[utility.deepcopy(key)] = utility.deepcopy(value)