a method to export all the records from a bucket to local files

        :param bucket_name: string with name of bucket
        :param export_path: [optional] string with path to root directory for record dump
        :param overwrite: [optional] boolean to overwrite existing files matching records
        :return: True

def export_records(self, bucket_name, export_path='', overwrite=True):

        '''
            a method to export all the records from a bucket to local files

        :param bucket_name: string with name of bucket
        :param export_path: [optional] string with path to root directory for record dump
        :param overwrite: [optional] boolean to overwrite existing files matching records
        :return: True
        '''

        title = '%s.export_records' % self.__class__.__name__
        
    # validate inputs
        input_fields = {
            'bucket_name': bucket_name,
            'export_path': export_path
        }
        for key, value in input_fields.items():
            if value:
                object_title = '%s(%s=%s)' % (title, key, str(value))
                self.fields.validate(value, '.%s' % key, object_title)
        
    # validate path
        from os import path, makedirs
        if not export_path:
            export_path = './'
        if not path.exists(export_path):
            raise ValueError('%s(export_path="%s") is not a valid path.' % (title, export_path))
        elif not path.isdir(export_path):
            raise ValueError('%s(export_path="%s") must be a directory.' % (title, export_path))
    
    # verify existence of bucket
        if not bucket_name in self.bucket_list:
            if not bucket_name in self.list_buckets():
                raise ValueError('S3 bucket "%s" does not exist in aws region %s.' % (bucket_name, self.iam.region_name))

    # retrieve list of records in bucket
        record_list, next_key = self.list_records(bucket_name)
        if next_key:
            record_number = 'first %s' % str(len(record_list))
        else:
            record_number = str(len(record_list))
        plural = ''
        if len(record_list) != 1:
            plural = 's'
        self.iam.printer('Exporting %s record%s from bucket "%s" to path "%s"' % (record_number, plural, bucket_name, export_path), flush=True)

    # define local save function
        def save_to_file(_export_path, _bucket_name, _record_key, _overwrite):
            
            try:
                response = self.connection.get_object(Bucket=_bucket_name,Key=_record_key)
            except:
                raise AWSConnectionError(title)
            record_data = response['Body'].read()
            file_path = path.join(_export_path, _record_key)
            dir_path = path.dirname(file_path)
            if not path.exists(dir_path):
                makedirs(dir_path)
            if path.exists(file_path) and not _overwrite:
                self.iam.printer('.\n%s already exists. File skipped. Continuing.' % file_path, flush=True)
            else:
                with open(file_path, 'wb') as file:
                    file.write(record_data)
                    file.close()
                self.iam.printer('.', flush=True)
            
    # retrieve data for records in bucket
        for record in record_list:
            save_to_file(export_path, bucket_name, record['key'], overwrite)

    # continue exporting records in bucket until all exported
        if next_key:
            while next_key or record_list:
                record_list, next_key = self.list_records(bucket_name)
                if next_key:
                    record_number = 'next %s' % str(len(record_list))
                else:
                    record_number = 'last %s' % str(len(record_list))
                self.iam.printer('.')
                plural = ''
                if len(record_list) != 1:
                    plural = 's'
                self.iam.printer('Exporting %s record%s from bucket "%s" to path "%s"' % (record_number, plural, bucket_name, export_path), flush=True)
                for record in record_list:
                    save_to_file(export_path, bucket_name, record['key'], overwrite)

    # report completion and return true
        self.iam.printer(' done.')
        return True